Turn off your mind
by Azi sunshine
Summary: A MatobaxNatsume slash depicting several connected, intermingling scenes. A few distorted views of their possible relationships, situated in the flowing background of transience and change. Mono no aware, lemon.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello everyone!**

**I've deleted the previous summary and title, since they were no longer accurate. Because I've re-started this story after a long time, there may be a slight disconnection between the first chapter and the following ones.**

**Possible warnings: spoilers up to chapter 55 (you may not catch up with some plots if you haven't read the manga arc from chapters 52-54), yaoi.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the series or its characters. These belong to Yuki Midorikawa.**

**Beta-readers: terracannon876 + EudaimonArisornae, Morning Chrysanthemum, Makoto Sagara.**

**If you had any suggestions, feel free to write them.**

**Have fun.**

* * *

><p>"This is a world of phenomena. Once, I thought this world was just the same as fire. Everything, every person or being as well as all the objects, all of them are burning with unflagging resolve, unceasingly." Matoba Seiji calmly started his speech as he had heard the soft steps heading in his direction. He could recognize the presence easily, without even looking at the incoming person.<p>

"Exactly." Nanase stepped closer to the hearth but stopped at a safe and proper distance. She looked at the Matoba clan's head, unable to see anything but his back, as the young leader continued.

"The existing phenomena disappear, and new ones appear in their places, all born, and killed by that same fire of existence. The never-ending circle of emerging and submerging." Matoba brought up his hand to move some messy hair the wind had thrown over his eye. "The same goes for us, for everything else. Yet, I think there's always something, an element which remains." He squatted to gain a better look of the golden flames that warmed his face gently. _"Wouldn't you agree, Natsume?" _he asked in his thoughts as he smirked whilst looking at the burning branches. "That Natsume Takashi and his strange abilities are such interesting phenomena."

"You're right," the woman sighed as she crossed her arms because of cold. Since she did not want to disturb her leader, who appeared to be a contemplative state, she decided to not come closer to the fireplace. Instead, she decided to take shelter in a warm building, not huddling outside in the cold air. "Thinking about that Natsume, Reiko… I can actually understand why you wanted him to join our clan,-" She was about to continue, but was cut off instantly by her companion.

"I still want him to." Matoba smoothly moved up from his knees and took a step back from the glazing hearth. "Looks like it won't go without an effort." He smiled, joining the woman on her way to the mansion.

"Good luck the next time..."

-v-

Natsume sneezed almost with a scream while enjoying the meal with his family. Touko-san jumped on a seat in an instant as she ran quickly to get a tissue, which she then passed over to him.

"My, my," she started her speech rather angrily. "Takashi-kun! I told you to dress in more layers this morning and yesterday…"

"Gomen…" Natsume sniffed as he continued on eating.

"And again, you came back so late." The woman furrowed her eyebrows.

"Oi, Touko." Shigeru threw his wife a condemnatory glance. "Takashi-kun is not a kid anymore." He stopped the eating for a short while as he slightly moved his fingers up the chopsticks. "That's a normal thing, coming back in the evening. Right, Natsume?"

Touko sighed loudly as Natsume warmly chuckled, enjoying the family mood, which, as always, deeply eased his mind. The Fujiwaras' arguments never were serious. He nodded with a warm smile, finishing his supper.

"Thank you for the meal!" Natsume said contentedly as he moved from the table and made his way in the direction of the stairs. He headed up to his room, hearing the loud clatters of a fat ball of fur running after him was making. _"With no grace,"_ he thought. He slid the door open, letting Madara to come into the room first, since it looked like his companion was full of vigor after the meal.

The fat cat cuddled into his own pillow like a chick in an eyrie; he even made a sound akin to a squeal. Natsume turned on a light as he closed the door. He went to the bright futon for rest. He laid on his back and put his hands behind his head, looking at the nearly empty ceiling. He closed his eyes to relax, but his rest was interrupted rather quickly, only a few seconds.

"Natsume," the living statue inquired a bit craftily. "I know you still have that bottle… Give me it," The cat's eyes moved cajolingly to Natsume's own, which now were staring at the ball of fur with a shade of annoyance.

"Sensei," Natsume started his lecture, but he gave up on it almost at once. Instead, he sighed loudly to demonstrate his opinion about the drinking request, and started to change his clothes before sleep.

"_Aho_!" A loud, wild, and reedy scream was followed by Natsume's bag, which hit the boy's head at once making him fall to the floor. "It's not even late yet! What do you think I'm going to do all evening? And why are you changing your clothes at seven?"

"Ugh…" Natsume moved to sit as he rubbed the back of his head, which was hurting. "Well…" He started, feeling rather resigned as he stood up slowly, and decided to give Madara the bottle for the sake of peace. "Don't look!" He threw the cat a sharp glance, attempting to force his master to shut his eyes so he couldn't see where Natsume had hidden the coveted wine bottle.

"Nyu, nyu!" Madara made a sound of temporary agreement, which was half-feigned. However, he closed his eyes to look more credible - at least until Natsume moved and turned his back to him. The cat slightly opened one of his own eyes rather quickly, attempting to locate the bottle's hideout.. But, because Natsume wasn't in his line of vision, he quickly opened both of his eyes and started to move them across the room.

"Sensei…" Natsume snarled as he raised a clenched fist in anger. He was standing behind Madara, who, scared, bristled at once and jumped upward on the pillow with a scream. His scream supposedly scared Natsume also, and it ended with both of them falling onto the floor, looking at the heavy bottle, which had slipped out from Natsume's other hand to fly up in the air, where it hovered for a split second before quickly falling onto the floor, breaking into countless pieces, and letting the valuable liquid spill over the tatami mats.

The noise of the breaking item combined with their mutual screams shook Touko-san's mind, and soon she was standing in the threshold of Natsume's room, scared more than them both.

"Takashi-kun…" Touko put her hands on her cheeks as she looked at the broken bottle. On the one, hand she was relieved that nothing bad had happened, but, on the other, she was a bit surprised and worried. She guessed that Natsume drank alcohol, and what's more – that he drank it alone in his room.

"Wait, Touko-san! I'll explain it all! It's not what it looks like!" Natsume started to calm her down in a hurry, whilst seeking in his mind any believable excuse. "It's a present for Tanuma's cousin; she has her eighteenth birthday tomorrow! " He was dragging air into his lungs, terrified that his lie would be found out. "I wanted to pack it up to let it look more like a present, but… but the cat started to play with it, and it broke. I'm really, really sorry!" He bowed down as low as it was possible. And since he was sitting on the floor, it was possible to bow very low.

"My, my," Touko chuckled, feeling relieved and amused at the same time. "Takashi-kun is such a clumsy boy." She made a step inside the room to collect the parts of the broken item, but she continued. "You should have asked us to help you. My husband will find you a good sake for this celebration. Let's take care of this one now." She squatted, moving her hand to the biggest part of glass.

"Please, don't bother yourself," Natsume said, almost having tears in his eyes. "I'll clean it all up in an instant." He ran out of the room again to grab a rag and cleaning supplies.

The mess was taken care of. Touko, who was standing again in the threshold, now directed her sight to the fat cat. Madara, who until now had remained as silent as he could, still sat on his pillow with his ears lowered along his head.

"No breakfast for the cat tomorrow," she stated and then left the two of them alone. Natsume chuckled warmly, sharing her mood, but as soon as the door was closed he pinned angry eyes on Madara. The cat had his own eyes now closed to avoid the early confrontation. Natsume sighed loudly again, and then he winced as he sat on the futon.

"This is how ends your insincerity and cunning, sensei. I hope you learned your lesson." He was about to continue when a low scratching against the window could be heard. Natsume stood up and opened the window firmly, letting the possible guest enter.

"Naaatsuume-saaamaaaaa…" A gloomy voice made Natsume's eyes to move to its owner. A semi-transparent youkai, with a human-like form, put its forearm across the window's frame to then slowly crawl inside the room, with a huge effort. "Youu… yoou… aare yoouuu Naatsuumeee-saamaaa?"

"Yeah, what happened? And who are you?"

"I… want youu tooo…"

Natsume sighed, disappointed with the usual, random request. "You want me to-"

"…tooo retuurn my name."

"Okay."

Natsume took care of the request, letting the satisfied youkai leave. He was about to shut the window again, but the next two visitors did not let him to do so. Ushikao and Hitotsume managed to enter the room at once, falling at the floor with a clamor. The youkaiwere entirely drunk and it looked like they were seeking entertainment - in this place of all the possible ones. Ushikao brought up a bottle of sake, what quickly made Madara squeal and run around the room at once.

"_The middle class youkai..."_ Natsume sighed in his mind at once looking at the party, which was already starting in his room regardless of his own opinion. "I told you guys to not visit me during the week. I have school tomorrow." He moved to sit on his bed, where now he realized Hinoe was already sitting. The woman took a puff from her pipe to then blow a long thread of smoke in his direction. "Don't smoke in my room." he lectured her strictly.

"Did you hear, Natsume?" Hinoe ignored the order though. Instead, she threw him an excited glance while the remaining creatures indulged themselves in drinking. One of them helped Kappa, who had already appeared, to crawl through the window to join the unplanned party. Natsume's eyes rolled in surrender as Hinoe continued her speech. "The... that Matoba clan's head is sick? I'm so excited!" The woman started to laugh generously, obviously amused and happy.

"Serves him right," Madara cut into the discussion, being already partially drunk.

"Sensei!" Natsume's eyes moved to the cat and then they returned to Hinoe, now reflecting a shade of surprise and fear simultaneously. "Oi, are you serious, Hinoe? Or you're making fun of me?"

"Why would I make fun of you?" The woman took the new puff of smoke before continuing. "I heard from… One of Rokka's youkai told me they took care of him."

"Hinoe…" Madara glanced her, finally getting more interested in the topic. "Matoba Seiji isn't that weak. Sarumen are not a match for him,"

"You think so, Madara? I hope that Rokka actually is strong enough," Hinoe mused. "I think that it's time to settle things in Eastern Forest."

"I heard that the Matoba clan has recently left the Eastern Forest," Kappa added as he joined the discussion. "Rokka wouldn't care now. Not when he's already back to his best form, and with no Matoba working in his area."

"Oi, oi, it's not funny," Natsume commented, and he mused a bit absorbed by the state of affairs. Not that he liked Matoba, but he was the kind of person who was not used to ignoring someone's - even his enemy's – suffering. He could not know if the rumor he had heard from Hinoue was true, but if so he wanted to help his not-at-all-friend somehow.


	2. Chapter 2

"The party ended at around eleven," Natsume spoke as he sighed with fatigue once he stood from his desk, where he had been finishing his homework. He pointed a finger at the duo of middle-class youkai that were now lying plastered against the wall of his room, asleep and utterly drunk, "so what are you two still doing here? When it's almost one?!"

There was no response from the youkai, so Natsume had to quickly abandon the echo of his own disappointment**. **All he could do was just accept the situation and surrender to it.

As soon as he managed to return to an inner state of peace, he was welcomed by a familiar voice, the voice of intoxicated cat.

"Oi, Natsume…?" The cat was somewhere behind him, and it sounded as if the cat was lazily rolling round and round on the floor, "Isn't there any sake left...? Nyuuu...?"

There was nothing to talk about, so Natsume replied with silence. Patiently ignoring Madara, Natsume changed his clothes, turned off the light and went to bed. He enjoyed the soft quilt he currently always, and was currently covering himself with because it automatically reminded him of Touko and Shigeru, whom he thanked in his mind. Once he had settled himself in for bed, the blond sank into his thoughts.

_"If it ends like this, my grades will drop again… Why are you guys still coming here in the middle of the week? I've told you so many times not to…" _Natsume whined to himself, although mostly he was just resigned as waves of sleep started to lapse into his waking state before long. He stretched his arms and shuffled his head on the pillow to find a more comfortable position. In his head, he hoped for a quiet night. No more visitors, at least until tomorrow, and, in the best case scenario, for the next few days.

_"And yet now... they brought Matoba, ugh… I hope Matoba-san is safe...,"_ Natsume winced slightly despite being half-asleep, _"Still I really don't feel like getting involved with exorcists again."_ He yawned and shut his eyes, only to shortly thereafter reopen them, this time staring into the world of dreams. The dreams were, of course, about youkai, involved in Natsume's life even now, when he has been sleeping.

Paradoxically, he slept quite well that night, and as the morning sun started to slowly shine its rays on the empty wall against which Ushikao and Hitotsume had been laying only few hours ago, he could not remember a single thing about those dreams. It was a good sign, though. It meant he'd only had normal dreams, not those birthed from contact with ayakashi.

Not more than a minute passed before the sun rays, nuzzling the wall Natsume was currently looking at, parted, revealing a slim, female shadow. Natsume turned his head to look at the window frame, where Hinoe was now sitting. The strong sun was shining from behind her, brightening her silhouette and making it slightly transparent. The smoke from her pipe was fading into the morning light. Natsume raised one of his hands to protect his eyes from the sun.

"Sorry for disturbing you Natsume," the youkai welcomed Natsume with a cheerful smile that Natsume barely caught sight of through his fingers, "the news about Matoba was not true." Although she had come to cheer him up, the tone of her voice was full of misery and disappointment. "There must have been some misunderstanding, but it is certain the Eastern Forest is clear, and abou-" the ghost was about to continue, but a loud knocking to the door cut off the shortly started conversation. The noise was followed by Shigeru's voice.

"Takashi-kun," Luckily for Natsume, Shigeru had not opened the door, but he might yet do it, if not given some response soon enough.

"A moment…!" Natsume jumped off the bed and he started to scurry about the room, trying to hide all signs of the wild party that had take place last night. "Let me put some clothes on… Where is it…? Where were they…? Ough...!"

He realized Hinoe had left the place at some point in time, and so the only thing left was to check for any signs of drinking. There were no signs of a mess, so the door was quickly opened.

Shigeru stepped into the room, new sake in hand. As Natsume expected, it looked luxurious and expensive, _"The cat is going to tope that all off and take advantage on my family's kindness..."_ He thought as he looked at the bottle, which Shigeru was putting into his hands_, "What's more, the kindness is being offered for nothing more than fairy tales."_

Overcoming the growing itch in his heart, Natsume managed to state in a grateful tone, "Thank you very much, Fujiwara-san." Natsume smiled kindly, sincerity in his words despite the hint of sadness in his thoughts. He hoped Fujiwara-san did not noticed the second layer of his mindset though.

"A present for Tanuma's fake cousin's birthday?" The boy whined quietly to himself once Shigeru had left his room and he could hear the steps leading downstairs. "…I'm such a liar!" He continued to curse and lament under his breath as he prepared to leave.

"Hm!" Madara made a sound of complacency, possibly to summarize the situation. Natsume had no idea which part of the situation made the cat feel complacent, but he did know he would be late for his first class for sure.

"See you when I'm back, sensei!" He called to Madara, just as he left the door behind. He ran down the stairs, took the obento which Touko passed to him when he was putting his shoes on, and left the house, for his walk to school.

Regardless of the pace he set, no small non-local youkai would understand the mortal wish of being on time to school. Meaning to do some pranks to the random passer-by, a furball ayakashi leapt out from the leafy branches. In its bounding movement the youkai met Natsume halfway**, **and it stopped about a meter before the blond, jumping up and down.

"A Karu?" Natsume stopped instantly as he faced the familiar creature. "Hello furball, are you a friend of Kemari? Have you lost your herd?" the boy asked, easily intrigued as the youkai leaped onto his shoulder and continued his jumping. "Please, stop moving!" Natsume commanded as he managed to catch the small ayakashi in his hands, happily without hurting it, "Your bristling hair will stab me, so please, calm down."

The Karu said nothing, though certainly it calmed down. It sat quietly on Natsume's palm and lifted its tiny eyes to his. It looked somewhat miserable and Natsume could see that fact clearly enough, but he was currently on his way to school, and could not afford to skip more than one class. He put the small youkai on the nearby tree branch, and told it to stay there until he returned.

"I'm sorry, furball!" He called out as he turned away, "I'll definitely be back after school!"

_"When... when I felt so relaxed..."_

A few minutes after the second class had started, Natsume was sitting in the classroom, now supporting his head with his elbow against his desk_. "I didn't dream about youkai. And there isn't any issue with Matoba on my mind either..." _The hand supporting his head twitched at the memory of the Matoba clan leader writing his charm on it_, "Ugh..."_ Feeling like a chill down his spine**, **he decided it was better to cut off this chain of thoughts, so instead he replaced it with the memory of the ayakashi he had encountered on his way to school_. "I wonder where those guys are heading this time..."_

He didn't notice when his eyelids started to droop closed. Maybe he had slept quite well this night, but it definitely felt too short_, "I hope Kemari is safe..."_ Losing his consciousness a short while later, he fell onto the desk, asleep.

Nishimura's voice, though almost whispering, somehow managed to call Natsume back to the classroom from the realm of dreams – the realm inside which the image of Matoba-san as well as the image of the Karu herd were still mixing together with the images of yesterday's drunken merrymaking.

Although Nishimura had helped Natsume by waking him up before he could be caught by the teacher, he turned out to be of no help when Natsume was asked by that same teacher about the lesson's details short seconds later.

"I'm sorry, sensei," Natsume stood up from the chair he had been sitting on, as he confessed, "I... I don't know the answer." He bowed to the teacher to show his own humility. His classmates started to laugh, being well accustomed with that situation. In the end, the teacher just sighed loudly and she quickly skipped to the next part of the lesson_."Small fortunes."_ Natsume sighed with relief.

Once everybody's attention had returned to its proper place, Natsume's elbow returned to where it had left off, and so did his mind. _"But really... I can't understand why I'm still allowing this guy to walk through my thoughts, and so freely at that..."_ He furrowed his eyebrows with discontent, _"It's like he has his own will even here..."_

-v-

Matoba Seiji was completely aware of the supposed free will of his mental self in Natsume's mind, so probably there was nothing strange with the parallel situation. Unfortunately, Matoba could not know Natsume's latest train of thought. If he did, he would have been more than pleased. Currently the exorcist was wrapped up in conversation with his secretary Nanase, though it was nearly at its early end.

"As above so below, as within so without." Matoba summarized the discussion and was about to leave the place.

"If so, why won't you visit that boy directly? All you have to do is simply go to his house," Nanase inquired with a shady smile that was nonetheless slightly warm. She adjusted her glasses and listened to his reply.

"I'll sleep on the idea." The words expressed his thanks for the suggestion. "Take care," the young clan leader added as he turned his back to the woman and some bystander shiki.

It took him a few steps to reach the forest gate, where he raised his hand to move some ivies hanging down the trees he intended to pass under. He crossed the old tori gate into the woody space.

The green and lively forest welcomed him with its benevolent shade, deflecting the harshest of the sunlight. It was early summer and the nature was wasting no time on her way to the next cycles. The fresh gentle wind was stirring the branches of various trees and bushes, creating genuinely beautiful images as Matoba continued on his way. He even entertained the fanciful notion that the moving leaves were trying to reassure him, "You're in the right place at the right time."

The friendly leaves also reminded him of his conversation with Nanase a moment ago and his mental vision of meeting Natsume in the latter's room. He actually decided to give the idea careful consideration. Not that he had forgotten Natsume's attitude and what his stand would be towards this hypothetical house visit. To the head of the Matoba clan, while Natsume's personal and selfish opinion was important, he really only cared to a limited extent.

The exorcist saw an old stump draped with spider webs, their owners hiding behind the threads. He squat down to examine the phenomena from a more proper distance. The spiders were definitely hiding - an omen of incoming rain. The birds were still flying high and singing their songs with passion, so the rain was probably due in a few more hours. But it would definitely to come. And when it did, it would most likely stay for more than day, since afternoon rains usually stay quite a long time.


	3. Chapter 3

It was three days since the downpour had started, and it looked like the rain was not planning to stop in the next few days. Natsume Reiko's successor was on his way home. He was happy the lessons had finished sooner than expected due to the bad weather. The teachers had mentioned a typhoon, but he would rather not believe their stories. He chose to believe it was just the rain falling – nothing bad behind it. A completely natural occurrence.

He waved to Tanuma, who happened to be heading in a different direction with few other friends. Shortly afterwards, the blond stepped onto the sylvan path he used to walk quite often on his way from school. Being partially soaked and walking through the forest alone, in the gloomy day like this, was not something Natsume enjoyed, so he chose to hurry his pace. At least there were no ayakashi in the forest, which made the boy sigh with a relief once he had left the dark area behind. He finally stepped into an open space from where the sky could be seen. It was dark despite being in the early afternoon, and it looked like the heavy clouds were bursting at their aqueous seams.

It took Natsume a while to arrive home, but now, standing in its threshold he felt nicely at ease. Nevertheless, for Touko, his innocent smile was a bit too carefree considering the look of his clothing.

"Takashi-kun..." The woman spoke, quickly becoming preoccupied in fixing the situation, but she disappeared in the house before Natsume managed to say anything. He could hear her muffled voice, coming from inside the building, "Takashi-kun! Come to the house quickly!"

Sooner than later Natsume was sitting in the kitchen with a downy towel on his shoulders and a small bowl of tea on the table before him.

"Thank you very much, Touko-san." He said full of gratitude as he smiled gently, his eyes focusing on the steaming warmth. "Two lessons were cancelled because of the weather." Natsume pulled a little stronger on the rims of the towel warming his shoulders. "Even though I took the best umbrella," he raised the bowl to take a sip, but instead he sneezed, "it ended up..."

"Maybe it was not so good after all..." Touko quickly passed Natsume a tissue as she picked up the umbrella, which was still dripping with water, "We'll have to think of something better for the next few days."

"Oi, Natsume-kun, you're soaked to the skin." Shigeru got up from his seat to join the conversation. He put aside a newspaper he had been reading and soon appeared just behind his wife. "I'd recommend you to take a warm bath—" He tried to continue, but the woman finished that train in his place.

"Yes, Takashi-kun, just go quickly to the shower!" Touko passed two more towels to Natsume's hands, "I'll heat up dinner meanwhile, so please don't take too long."

"In fifteen min-" Natsume started to talk, but was cut off instantly once he took the first step up the stairs.

"Right! Don't be late! We were waiting for you to eat together!" The woman added with commitment.

Natsume nodded as he followed Fujiwaras' suggestions and went to the bath.

In ten or so minutes the hot water warmed him more than enough, he felt like he was leaving an onsen.

He put some fresh clothes and went to the kitchen directly, where he sat to dine with his family. He thanked for the meal as he picked up the soaked bag he had left beside the table when he had been drinking tea.

He went to his room and laid with his back on the futon. The belt of the brought bag lazily slipped down his hand making the item fall onto the floor just next to his bed. The Book of Friends, which had been hidden inside until now, fell out to rest on tatami mats. The familiar sound made the ceramic statue, which till now has been resting on its downy pillow, revive.

Madara scuttled his rotund body forward on tiny paws, quickly bringing it nearer to the interesting object. The cat stopped just above the book and moved his nose to sniff the source of the seductive smell. He had no luck this time however, since it looked like Natsume's hand had followed the book's course down by now.

"Sensei..." Natsume looked at Madara, as bored as he was disgusted, "have you forgotten our promise?" The boy moved up his hand which was holding the book, quickly bringing the object closer to himself. "I thought we had this particular bad habit of yours already behind us." He quickly stretched his second hand out to catch the red collar the maneki neko was wearing.

The cat found himself hanging in thin air, hovering just above the head of his disciple. Once realizing what was happening, Madara decided to play innocent.

_"Cat looks too stupid, it's suspicious..."_ Natsume had his eyebrows narrowed, his eyes directed to Madara's were scanning the animal precisely.

The cat pricked down his ears as he remained silent for a while, but feeling Natsume's sight on himself for too long, at the end he had to scream as though he were shot with a beam. He stretched his legs in all directions, which combined with his scream, startled Natsume and knocked him back. The hand that had been holding Madara's collar trembled as it lost its grasp quickly afterwards, causing the cat to fly through the heavy air.

Madara moved his paws – flapping up and down a few times, something inside him still hoping that maybe somehow he will keep up in the air, but his round body quickly fell and rolled across the floor.

Natsume felt like he'd just touched a spider. Safe but somehow uneasy.

The sound of the pouring rain, a hum in the background until now, started crescendoing until it reached its final volume. It was raining loud enough to drown out almost every possible conversation.

Natsume went to Madara as he wrapped his arms around the cat's fluffy fur. Having done that, he carried Madara with him so they could look through the window together. They could not see too much though for the next and the next sheets of rain were making the view so blurred it was almost blank.

Natsume always enjoyed sharing peaceful moments like this with his sensei. But also he knew, and always kept in mind, that all of them would eventually pass and make way for something new. He heard a muted knocking on his room, and so he put the cat on the floor, to open the door afterwards.

"Touko-san!" Natsume smiled when he saw the woman, who was standing in the hallway with a cup of water infused with herbs. The smell of medicine alone was making Natsume's head throb, but he tried his best to hide the sensation from his expression.

"Just drink this one, Natsume." Touko passed the cup to Natsume, waiting until the boy drank it all. Natsume drank the herbs in one gulp but his façade failed as his lips contorted just after finishing the cup, which made Touko chuckling quietly.

Her laughter was shortly cut off by a sound of another knocking, though. For a moment Natsume thought maybe it was just his imagination, but Touko was already on her way to the main entrance door.

"My, my... has somebody lost his way?" The woman set the door ajar to face a young dark-haired man wearing a black kimono. The huge umbrella the traveler was carrying protected his body from rain quite effectively, letting the streams of water fall smoothly around his figure. The umbrella's brim raised to reveal Matoba underneath.

"Good afternoon," the dark-haired man said expressionlessly, though he smiled kindly as he asked, "Is Natsume-kun at home?"


	4. Chapter 4

Touko was rather surprised with the unusual visitor, but she coped with the situation quickly.

"Oh, I see. You're Natsume's friend." The woman made a welcoming gesture. "Please, come in... Such bad weather we're having..." She held the door open against a gust of wind threatening to slam it shut. "Will you be staying at night?" she asked just as the young leader of Matoba clan was about to cross the doorstep.

"Thank you," Matoba said diplomatically as he looked at the woman with a rather uncommon shade of gratitude, "perhaps." Or perhaps it was just common gratitude from him, though not directly for Touko. It sounded more like he had thanked reality than his interlocutor, but he took a step inside, and the act made his voice recognizable for Natsume.

Natsume was already made the last step and had entered the kitchen in rather good shape, but seeing Matoba there made him brain-dead in an instant. In all honesty, he was thanking every last god in existence that he knew at the moment for allowing him to remain conscious somehow, here and now. He was dead, but he was alive. Or after death there was Matoba standing in the kitchen, talking about the weather with Touko. Sadly, though, Natsume knew it was reality. The only one he lived in. Still petrified, he asked himself if there was anything he could still do to salvage the situation.

"I see. So you're just on your way back from some spiritual party?" Touko continued the discussion with the newcomer as she took the umbrella from him to put it on the nearby rack_. "How strange__**..."**_

"...Something like that. I took some disguise cloths for Natsume-kun as well," the exorcist put his hand on a linen handbag he had been carrying, "but since he was not coming... I thought I may stop to give them to him directly." Matoba turned his back as he moved his eye to Natsume's currently fossilized ones. "Right, Natsume-kun?"

_"Sorry, everyone..."_ Natsume had died, at least temporarily. It was good that the world in his head passed just as quickly as everything around him seemed to be occurring in slow motion**. **It took him a while to utter a single word, but he knew he would have to soon.

"R-Right..." Natsume took a step aside as his hand reached for the wall, to which he was currently thanking for support.

"My, my, what are you waiting for, Takashi-kun?" Touko looked at Natsume as she furrowed her eyebrows. "Just take the friend to your room," she pressed the blond to act in some way. Really, she hoped he did not always allow his companions to wait this long before making a single gesture.

Easier said than done, Natsume had already fallen to the lowest level of hell, and the restless waves of fear he felt passing though his frozen body like an incorporeal ghost were not useful in any way. Before he could say anything, he noticed that Matoba had not told Touko about the one particular inconvenient sphere of Natsume's everyday life. Touko didn't look scared, and neither did her husband, who was currently dozing off after dinner. Although still feeling his legs numb and his mind empty, somewhere in the deep darkness Natsume managed to find a very dim and flickering flame of hope. Maybe, somehow, one way or another, he still had a chance to get out of this alive, to wake up from this nightmare.

He knew he had to hide his fear as well as his anger for he did not want Touko to realize something was off; so it was another challenge upon his head.

"Oi, Touko-san, wait a moment...! I have to...!-" Natsume started to think what he could say to sound believable in any possible way, _"to clean up the mess, no that won't do, damn...,"_ "make the bed!"

Having said that, Natsume run up the stairs, almost falling at least twice. He rushed into his room with the fate of the Book of Friends already ticking down in his head. Happily, he saw Madara squatting on the window frame, holding the book with his paws.

"Nyanko-sensei!" Nastume called out in hurry.

"I know!" The spoken sensei nodded to his disciple and quickly he jumped off the window taking the Book of Friends with him. Natsume was not feeling completely at ease with the book currently carried by the distrusted cat, but he had no other choice.

The boy then led Matoba to his room, and once they entered he showed his 'friend' a place on his bed to seat. Touko went after them to the room as well, as she put the teapot and two tea bowls on the empty desk.

Natsume was feeling like a literal fossil now, where the creature in question had left reality in ancient times. All that was remaining were some traces of his mind and body, a faint, fleeting circumstantial evidence of his possible existence somewhere in the distant past. He wiped the sweat from his forehead with an unbuttoned sleeve, hoping for some natural conversation topics to appear in his mind. Touko was about to leave the room in a few short seconds and he did not want her to feel even the dimmest ray of anxiety, if it was at all still even possible (he had a hard time believing in that distant scenario anyway though_), "Please! I have to do it...! Somehow... I have to do it...! Anyone... Please..."_

"Please..." Natsume says the words like he is reading from a doorplate in the otherworld he was already been seeing, "M-make yourself comfortable..."

"Right." Touko nodded, smiling to Natsume to show her recognition for his more proper attitude. The woman had really no idea why the boy looked like out of sorts today. Perhaps it was just the bad weather making him act oddly. She thanked the unexpected guest in her heart, at once hoping that Natsume will get better after spending some time with friend.

Once the door of his room was closed, it looked like the real Natsume started to re-awaken, still traversing his way back from the beyond. Either he or something else moved his body, making it cross the room and step onto the futon and take a seat next to Matoba.

"If you came to ask me to join your clan, I have to refuse." Natsume started the conversation with a blank mind as he anchored his sight somewhere upon the tatami mats upon which his legs were knelt, resting. There were no thoughts in his brain. Maybe he would agree? Maybe it was just some instinct talking and not his actual self? Maybe this would be how he would be rescued? He felt his hands clench to fists as he wrapped them around his ankles to ground himself. Still he could not help his eyes, which are already filling up with water. He swallowed the excess saliva as he raised his hand to cover his eyes with a sleeve. "Damn it..."

He could not do anything to protect his family from the man who was already sitting in his home just next to him, nor could he do anything to stop the ongoing process. His eyes hidden just behind his forearm, the blond put his free hand on the edge of the bed, blindly seeking any available surface for support. He did not notice his hand crumpling part of Matoba's haori, which was good, because that was at least one less thing to worry about.

Natsume was returning to reality. Even the noise of rain was doing its best to call him back. The healing sound of water eventually started to wash away his cry, embracing it with the cry of the storm, for unity, like a mother enveloping her child.

Matoba used the moment to check if there was no paper in Natsume's hair, like the one from the last time they had met. If there was, it was better off dispelled; really some limit must be set on the level of inconveniences he had to work through to make Natsume join his clan. It wasn't long before he responded to Natsume's latest words, though.

"That's a pity," Matoba closed his eye with a restrained, cynical smile as he raised his hand to the sandy hair. "I thought maybe you'd changed your mind."

Natsume had changed his mind already, but probably not to what Matoba wished for. The boy automatically flinched back when he saw the pale scrawny hand right next to his face. "What... are you doing?" The hand fortunately was soon on its way back, which blew out his rising tension.

"Well... I thought there was a paper in your hair." Matoba explained.

"Whatever..." Natsume crossed his arms as finally he braced himself, accepting the challenge reality threw at him. "And this is all you came for?" he asked with a tone as though he had had enough of this. He did not have to hide his hope that the exorcist would leave sooner than later.

"Not exactly..." The pale hand rose to remove some messy hair from its owner's eye. "To tell you the truth... I just came to see you." Even though it was not all of the truth behind his visit today…but it was still a part of the truth.

"W-What?" Natsume felt almost tangibly the moment his blood pressure jumped up. "Just..," He wondered if this guy's arrogance truly had no boundaries, "for something so selfish-?!"

"I think you should thank me," Matoba answered, almost stepping on the echo of Natsume's words. His voice was constrained, oppositely proportional to Natsume's passionate one, "I lied to your family in your place." Well, the argument held some weight. Matoba was a very particular brand of honest person. Of course, sometimes he was not telling all the truth... but to lie in such a typical way was just as uncommon for him. On the other hand maybe he had lied with Natsume's feelings in mind. Still, though, he would have done it for selfish reasons.

Natsume sighed loudly to express his discontent, but his eyes directed at Matoba's figure reminded him just how he was truly feeling. He simply could not forgive this person for coming here and putting the people he loved in danger. It wasn't worth it, not for whatever goals Matoba had in mind. His sight traveled to the seal covering Matoba's eye, causing Natsume to shiver with something akin to a spiritual chill, something he quickly recognized.

"I feel like I'm sitting with a youkai," Natsume said as he moved his eyes to look for something to drink. Perhaps he missed something, since Matoba was already squatting in front of his bed and filling up the tea bowls.

"Natsume-kun," the exorcist spoke as he returned to his previous place. He sat next to Natsume as he continued, his sight following the move of the latter's hand, which was currently reaching for the bowl, "don't insult me." Natsume took a sip and put the bowl back to its previous place. His hand was trembling as though he had been putting it to a flame. He was happy he at least somehow managed to put the bowl back in its previous place already, without spilling the tea as Matoba continued. "You called me your worst enemy."

"You are that!" Natsume almost screamed, but soon he found himself still hoping in his heart that Fujiwaras had not heard him raising his voice. He made a mental note to keep better control of his emotions from now on. If there existed any way to protect people dear to him from any possible damage, he had to take it. He knew or at least he hoped somehow he would succeed, but still, it was not so easy. At least the rain was on his side, pouring incessantly and drowning everything out in its never-ending roar.

But the situation alone was making Natsume sick. He was angry, and he was just as, if not more, downcast, and his golden eyes were drowning in two salty seas again and he could do nothing about it. He felt his palms clenching to fists and he could hear the part of his mind telling him to make good use of them, but that mind was useless, at least as long as he was also intent on keeping the Fujiwaras' life peaceful and ignorant. Maybe help would come? Maybe somebody would appear? Maybe...

Natsume knew he was helpless, but at least he could try. He did not know yet what he could do though. Maybe he could simply observe what his body would do? In the end, that was what he decided. He observed his trembling hands again transforming into fists and slowly moving towards the exorcist, but then his fingers loosened all their tension, and lost almost all strength behind them long before reaching their target. One of the hands did not reach its destination at all, instead falling back to the bed's surface, while the other one somehow managed to reach its target. On its way, though, it had changed from fist back into an open palm and was now clasping the black fabric over Matoba's chest.

The exorcist shifted back instinctively, raising one of his hands in front of him as if creating some kind of invisible barrier.

"Just what are you trying to accomplish with that?" Matoba realized somewhere along the line he might have stopped understanding Natsume's gestures and acts. Or maybe he never had any proper understanding of them to begin with? He wondered.

"I don't know!" Natsume answered resignedly. At least he was finally honest. His eyes now focusing on some random place on the floor and simultaneously clenching his fists agitatedly, he moved his other hand up from the futon on a quest for more stability, though, never mind that he was seeking that stability from empty air. His hand met Matoba's hand - the one that was 'creating the barrier' as slowly its fingers slid between the exorcist's ones. Natsume's eyes looked vacant. Was he even connected to the material world? It did not look that way.

Matoba was surprised. He did not know what he should think or feel about Natsume's behavior yet, but oh well, he might be able to make a use of this. He would probably do anything to make Natsume join his clan. Well, maybe not anything, but he was still prepared to do a lot of things with that purpose in mind. He may be a more-or-less honest man, but what he was about to say would be said knowingly and intentionally taking advantage of Natsume's clumsy actions.

The exorcist moved his free hand up to gently tug at the sleeve of Natsume's shirt, instantly bringing the blond back to reality. Amused he looked deeply at the golden eyes scrutinizing him back. Never let it be said he wasn't honest...

"I must say I've always had some feelings for you, Natsume-kun, but something like this," the pale lithe fingers imperceptibly tightened around Natsume's as Matoba's lips corners twitched upwards, "never crossed my mind."


	5. Chapter 5

Natsume's face darkened the instant he realized his actions, but Matoba's words made him feel embarrassed. He automatically put more force behind the hand resting on the other man's kimono, and the boy was just about to push himself back or, alternatively, shove Matoba away, but before he could do so, the other man's pale fingers had slipped out from his own trembling ones.

Matoba's hand now free, returned to rest on the futon's edge, but its owner stayed visibly amused and, at the same time though less visibly, startled.

"Interesting..." the exorcist spoke with what was now equal parts amusement and amazement, "You see, I'd have never imagined you in this kind of situation."

"Don't even talk about it...!" Natsume screamed, irritated with himself, with Matoba, with the whole situation. At first he moved his head aside. He did not want to look at the other man. In fact he was still blushing and it wasn't helping him feel any more comfortable, but his anger lent him a hand and drove him to continue. "I didn't know what I was doing!"

"Well then," Matoba sighed as though tired, "let's skip to business. I have an errand which needs to be taken care of. Actually... I don't exactly know how it should be done." He raised his hand to his face and Natsume had the impression that Matoba's smile disappeared for an instant. "...Well, to tell the truth," he continued before it re-appeared again, "I'd feel more confident if you accompanied me." Then the smile grew, forcing the latter's eye to close. "You'll help me, right?"

Natsume's golden eyes were mirrors reflecting simultaneous anger and compassion. On one hand, he was irritated with what was happening, and he was still angry that Matoba had come to his house despite obviously knowing how Natsume felt about it. On the other, he knew Matoba was truly a powerful exorcist and would not ask for help if he was feeling at ease. Not that Natsume felt at ease with work that was difficult even for Matoba, but he was not the kind of person who would refuse somebody in need.

"How is the situation?" the blond asked eventually as he reached for the bowl "...and what do you want me to do?"

"I'll give you more details another day. I'm not in such a hurry with it… We may be going two weeks from now." Matoba said as he put his hand against the bed to support himself up. "It's at the old pagoda, quite far away from here. There shouldn't be many people, but I've brought you some disguise cloths. Natsume-kun," he left the linen bag on the bed, but he continued, "you said you have your own way of dealing with them…very well." The exorcist looked at the man in question with an indefinable expression, but his voice sounded calm and constrained. "I'll be out most of the time anyway, as I have my own business to take care of at the place. You'll be free to do whatever you could possibly wish." Matoba smiled since he felt rather content that he could offer Natsume a task this time that was convenient for him."I have no idea how you'll do the job, but I believe somehow you'll manage to step up to the challenge." He moved towards the door and placed his hand on its frame. "I think this is all for now, so I'll be taking my leave."

"Matoba-san..." Natsume managed to stop the exorcist in place for a short moment with his voice. He finally returned back to reality, suddenly and amazingly realizing just now that he was safe despite the other man's visit to his house (at least this particular one today) in addition to the safety of the Book of Friends (at least its assumed safety) and the weather outside. Not that he liked Matoba or anything, but well, it was really raining outside and it was a rather long way the other man had to go...

Natsume caught himself asking once they were already at the last steps on the stairs though.

"Are you sure about going out in this weather?" He asked quietly to not wake the Fujiwaras, who appeared to have gone to sleep in the meantime. _"And why didn't you take your car?"_ Natsume wondered, now looking at the heavy sheets of rain traversing across the black sky like northern lights.

"You know... I'm not made of sugar," Matoba said as he took the umbrella and stepped past the doorstep. Not that Natsume doubted his words. In fact, he felt they were more than less accurate.

Matoba crossed the border between the building's calm and the nature's raging workshop as he entered the world of rain. Still facing away, he waved back to Natsume who was standing in the safety of house's threshold, before turning back to the boy to say farewell.

"Forgive me, Natsume..." The exorcist let his words reflect a part of, or at least, some kind of understanding. "I wanted to send you a letter..." he moved his sight to the side, but he directed it to Natsume's for the last time, "...but I didn't want anybody else to get their hands on it, at least this time." Natsume could not hear all the words because of the noisy rain, but he understood enough of the meaning.

"Not really, I-" The boy said, more to himself than to Matoba, after he had closed the entrance door. In the end he had not been able to say anything when Matoba's silhouette had vanished into the night's dark background.

Natsume closed the main door and he leaned against it as though he had just managed to lock some kind of monster in a chamber. His body needed support, and the door was the nearest pillar of support at the moment. He sighed with relief, ensured that the door was shut for real before going back to his room.

Once the exorcist had gone, the cat arrived. Madara jumped through the window and the small bag with the Book of Friends inside fell on the floor with him as well, to Natsume's intense relief.

So, he was rescued. Somehow, one way or another, he had managed to make it through all of this alive, though he was not sure yet if he had finally woken up from this nightmare. Maybe it was more like another dream was starting?

Perhaps, since the moment he looked at the bag Matoba had left him, he was reminded of how the exorcist had been talking something about meeting him the other day, and Natsume had been given no details about it. He could only assume that their next meeting would take place in his home again. But _"at least..."_ for now he was in a dream where Touko and Shigeru were safe, the Book of Friends was safe…where Matoba clan's head visiting his house even while wearing his exorcist's outfit was 'normal', but still.

"So... how did it go, Natsume?" Madara asked once he had been taken up in the blond's caring hands. Natsume looked at him smiling gently.

"All went quite well..." The boy answered as he put the cat on the pillow. He was more than exhausted with all of today's events. He felt not just one day but at least two or three days had flown on by; at least it looked like Madara had understood his laconic reply. They might have a word tomorrow as well.

The cat settled himself down on the pillow as he remained silent, waiting to close his eyes after his disciple had changed his clothes for sleep.

Once he had finished, Natsume turned off the light, before quickly returning to bed. The bed wherein he had spent the past few strange hours, hours that were still alive in his mind even now, this time in the form of their timeless continuation.

Madara's eyes opened for a short moment as the cat was moving from side to side looking for a more comfortable position, when they accidently landed on the linen bag with the disguise cloths. _"Hm!"_ he made some indistinguishable sound, but aptly he did it in his thoughts. He saw that Natsume was not in the mood for teasing or lectures, so he found it within himself to keep the night free of either.

-v-

Matoba was on his way back from the spiritual parley with Natsume. He was rather content with its final outcome though he remained confused that the boy was still keeping his amazing skills in secret, even from the people he cared about. It was strange in general, but for Matoba it was convenient. Likewise he was intrigued by this side of Natsume's personality and by the fact he still could not understand some of the latter's incomprehensible choices and actions. That element of unknown...

He continued to pass the next few lanes of the town Natsume lived in, and then into its outskirts, the neighboring forest, before finally stepping onto more familiar paths that he used to take. They were rarely used, but these led to the ones he was coming to take more often.

Matoba found that element of unknown exceedingly interesting. Well, he had grown up strong and in a family with set way of thinking. And then along came Natsume, so extremely strong with an otherworldly image with otherworldly youkai friends who were not his servants, who was shattering his conventional exorcist ideals and simultaneously disturbing him and enthralling him. He had failed to entice Natsume and win him over his own side yet, so now it had all become a challenge. At the same time he recognized the strange kindness in the boy, one which he had once felt the conflicting needs to keep and destroy; but as of yet he had not decided yet what exactly he wanted do with it. He decided he wanted to make Natsume join his clan, regardless of everything. He wondered if there was anything that could make the boy change his mind, but he gave up the quest without coming upon anything.

The clock had perhaps just entered the cycle of a new day by the time he saw the first shimenawa guarding his destination. He passed the border between the youkai world and the sacred space; yet even here the rain was all the same as in the spirits' domain. It was pouring cats and dogs, and the forest paths looked more liquid than solid. Some of them had even transformed into small stream and riverbeds.

Eventually, he entered a huge empty manor, wherein he could hear his own thoughts as well as the voices of phenomena better than anywhere else. And he had a lot of things to contemplate upon. As such, he was rather glad there were no people around nearby. He always had his shikis in case of emergencies; he did not feel like summoning them currently though.

He sat on a bed, soon taking his haori off. He did not even bother with taking off the rest of his soaking clothes, since he felt rather comfortable anyway. Such things were insignificant; they could be easily replaced, changed, altered if importantly, today's mission was completed, and this one was a success. There was almost no possibility Natsume would not help him in the end. He felt he could easily fall asleep to the lullaby of the singing rain.

_"When shall we see again, Natsume?"_

He felt his smile spread through his mind,_ "Oh well... We'll see... Maybe soon, we'll meet once again... but, for the time being..."_ Matoba thought, still aware at the edge of sleep's rising tide, which had already started to crash against the shore of his consciousness,_ "that couldn't have gone better..." _

* * *

><p>Hinoe: So why didn't he take his car?<p>

Madara: Who knows? Probably the author's thing. He simply had to trudge all the way on his feet. Serves him right...

Kappa: Maybe he forgot...?

Madara *facepaws*

Hitotsume: Maybe his car broke or something.

Hinoe *realizes she never cared*

Ushikao: Maybe his car broke! *or something*

Madara: Don't mimic him! *whacks Ushikao*

Ushikao *collapses*

Hiiragi: Would he be okay driving in this weather anyways?

Madara: I vote no.

Hinoe: Never mind. The main thing is he's gone, and will hopefully stay that way for more than a day.


	6. Chapter 6

The green maple leaves were shimmering in the midday sun and flickering under the wind's gentle caress. The sun was shining strong enough for Natsume to enjoy its beneficial light and warmth, but not too possessively for he could not sense its lethal potential. He gazed on the numerous drops of fresh water, lazily dripping from the dancing leaves, though he knew they were destined to change their actual form, inevitably evaporating under warm temperature. Everything, even the grass looked somehow uncommon, different than before the rainfall; its countless blades now waving in the ocean of mild summer breeze. He almost felt like if he was seeing all these things for the very first time.

Indeed, it looked like he was now stepping though another dream rather than the nightmare from few days ago. Thinking about it now, he was not even angry about Matoba's visit; maybe he should really feel grateful to the other man instead for the situation? He felt perceptibly lighter in spirit now, after he had gone through the event of the exorcist being at his house and meeting his family. So the variant in which that guy could talk with Fujiwara couple in a normal, healthy way had always existed somewhere in the realm of possibility; and, this way or another, it was just this one from all the possible versions, that turned out to become real. Natsume smiled brightly either to himself or to the world around him, which looked more than beautiful. _"Just as it should_," he thought.

The fact it was already Friday and that he had school behind him was cheering him up additionally. He was passing by the trees and thickets on his way home through the neighboring forest, not hurried with anything. He finally had enough time to enjoy the peaceful side of life and to reflect upon himself. He was not fully aware of his thoughts' concentration, on his own person though... he was used to having his mind occupied by other people or ayakashi rather than by his own self.

And in the end, it was not that easy to have the mind free of other creatures for longer than a minute or so_. "Matoba-san... it's true he hurts ayakashi and even sometimes takes advantage of them... but he cares about his people, so he can't be such a bad person inside. Maybe if I found some way to-"_ Natsume tripped over a stone which had been resting on the sylvan path. He was so lost in his thoughts that he had forgotten to pay attention to the road in front of him.

He put his hand against the ground to support his body and he quickly pulled himself up, though his clothes were now a little greener from the grassy sap. He brushed the dirt off his pants and shirt as he squatted to reach for his overturned bag. His sight stopped on the Book of Friends, which now was sticking out from inside the bag. He recalled his last trail of thoughts as he closed his eyes with contemplation_. "No matter what... I can't let him know about the Book of Friends..."_ He pulled up the bag's thin belt and soon he returned on the track.

As his body returned on the track of the forest path, his mind returned on the track of affirmative thinking. Of course Matoba could not be such a bad person_, "Maybe if I found some way to show him... a way to connect with his better side..."_ The image of exorcist pushing around the jar with Sarumen and wanting to 'scrap' it - whatever it was supposed to mean, hit Natsume's mind like a bullet_. "I wonder if he even has any..." _he sighed with resignation_, "I simply have to establish a connection with Matoba-san's real heart and show him the truth about ayakashi."_

It looked like Natsume had found the solution with regards to Matoba, but to bring it into effect was looking almost unrealizable. Really, he thought it was a pain in the ass. _"...This guy really feels like a youkai..."_ Natsume mused as he summarized. Matoba really felt a little like a youkai (they even looked similar), with whom one should establish some kind of connection or contract, or simply convince him somehow to act in a way beneficial for all the creatures he sees, without discrimination. Maybe ayakashi were a little different than humans and it was true that some of them were evil, but there were also a lot of nice and friendly ones. Natsume knew that better than everyone, and he knew it was truth; he wanted Matoba to see the light.

Thinking about youkai and their born enemy automatically rekindled the memories from their last meeting. Not that Natsume had not thought about it during the past days. Yes, he had been thinking about it, maybe not constantly, but for sure more than often. Still the reminiscence of him and the leader of Matoba clan joining their hands was something he tried not to recall. Yet, he knew the method of trying to put aside a concrete thought was usually destined to be useless; for the reason standing behind a purpose of using this method was nothing other than the mind's interest in the certain thought. _"Okay, I allow it..." _the blond closed his eyes for a moment even though he did not stop walking_, "show me what there is..."_

Although Natsume was in fact a weakling when it came to jutsu or physical strength, he was brave enough to stand against some youkai and so, to stand against his fears. He remembered Matoba's hand outstretched before him in a protective gesture, and the moment their hands had joined; and the words he kept on trying to erase from his mind for the last few days, but to no avail, it seemed.

_"I've always had some feelings for you, Natsume-kun, but something like this,"_ Natsume was sure he almost could feel their hands touching even though he was also sure he was walking alone. There was nobody around, he could not even sense any youkai for all the gods' sake _"...something like this,"_ the image of the hypothetical situation in which Matoba's hands were on his shoulders and their faces are near made his blood pressure rise up noticeably. _"I thought there was a paper in your hair."_ Once having allowed the key-thought to manifest, he was completely drowned by the images that followed , _"Forgive me, Natsume... I wanted to send you a letter... "_ and the next and following ones kept on appearing.

_"What about joining the Matoba clan?"_ Natsume winced and he shook his head as if he was trying to throw the next incoming memories out of it. _"Like hell I do! Really, just how desperate must Matoba-san be to still ask me that question? I told him at least three times I won't. Geez..."_ Natsume sighed with confusion and a slice of annoyance, but these feelings were destined to disappear rather quickly. The image of him meeting the leader of Matoba clan again was rousing feelings in him opposite to irritation, and so he decided to acknowledge the truth as it was, _"I admit that... there is a part of it I long for..."_

Was it now a bit easier? Natsume thought it was. He had already confessed to himself, that he wanted to see the other man anyway, even though partially he did not. Moreover, there were some potential benefits coming from their meeting: he would be able to help somebody with the youkai problem while at the same time having a chance to learn something about the protective spells and seals, his family would not find out about him being able to see ayakashi (he assumed Matoba would not tell them if Natsume helped him in business), in the best case scenario he would even manage to at least change the exorcist's mind a little bit about youkai exploitation, and hopefully they will go at least a little bit closer to each other.

-v-

Matoba more than wanted to be closer with Natsume. The original purpose of wanting to see Natsume was for help in business, but lately, it had not been the main reason he wanted to see him. Well, in fact he would feel much more comfortable with Natsume's help, but the truth was he had been thinking about the other man almost constantly for the past days; the people coming to him with affairs were now a bother to him.

He found Natsume interesting the first time they had met, and with the next day of their acquaintanceship he had been confirming that conviction; but the last days were actually hard to withstand. He knew if the boy made such an ambiguous move again, he may not be able to hold himself back.

He washed his face with the cold water from a random sacred spring he had encountered on his way through the nearby forest, where he was strengthening the barriers against spirits. He rubbed his eyes, there was nobody around to see both of them anyway. He wondered if Natsume would be frightened seeing the scar under his eyepatch; the seal was not clinging to his face that narrowly, for there were a lot of possible situations which would let Natsume to see this part of his face, not that Matoba was worried. Supposedly he even wanted Natsume to see more of him than he had seen until now; if they went closer to each other it would be helpful to change Natsume's mind about joining his clan. Matoba's faith in that scenario becoming real was being tried recently though**.  
><strong>

He put his hand on his forehead as he squatted for a while on his way from the spring to the next shimenawa, at once putting his other hand against the ground. _"Ah, I think I simply can't wait even one day more..."_ Having his sight now directed to the emerald forest bed, which was waving gently in the summer wind, he found himself excitedly dizzy. He knew he had to do something about it, he simply could not wait anymore. He was thoroughly aware the patience had never been one of his strong points, but what could he do about it? He decided to finish his current occupation, and he hoped there would not be any unplanned affairs on the screen today, for he could leave his temporary abode at least for few hours.

Indeed it was destined for him to leave his temporary abode for at least few hours, but not exactly in the way he would had thought out. His subordinates were already on their way to meet him, and to pass him on a message which had arrived recently.

He took a deep breath as he rose up from his mind-stop, but he turned to face the newcomers who were about to emerge from behind the rustling branches.

"Matoba-sama..." A tall brown-haired man started his speech in a rather affected tone.

The head of Matoba clan was a rather sharp person and so he easily realized, the tone was affected in peculiar way: it sounded like that man was really worried with passing the message on, but not because of the message's contents, but because of the fact there was a request to fulfill and the man was fully aware that fact would not make his leader happy. Matoba took a few steps in the man's direction, but calmly he answered.

"Well, well... what happened?"

"Matoba-sama...!" Another man called out once he had gotten out of the green branches and thus joined his companion, who had arrived before him and who was just now going to describe the case to his leader, albeit reluctantly.

"There was a youkai incident in the neighboring town and since the client is connected to a political figure... I think it'd be good to give him some answers rather soon." The brown-haired man said rather blankly and then he stood at attention, ready for the possible orders.

In the background of his mind, from all the possible future events' pieces, Matoba managed to solve the puzzle and find the solution to combine everything.

"I see." The arcane smile was now visiting his face, "Thank you for the message. This is good news." Possibly, his reply surprised his interlocutor, "I planned to leave rather soon anyway, so I'll take care of this case personally."

"Thank you! Thank you very much!" The another subordinate spoke before his companion. "What should we tell them?" He asked quickly with re-appearing concern.

"Tell them I'll visit."

The people from Matoba clan thanked their leader once more as they left the place, heading for their next tasks. The mentioned leader also left the place rather quickly, at once leaving his current occupation for another day. The barrier was working anyway, he was only strenghthening it; it might as well wait till tomorrow.

He crossed the waving forest as he left the green space behind, at once stepping to the wooden building. He entered his room where he started collecting the things possibly needed for today's tasks. He took a bath and changed his outfit for a suit. In spite of the fact he saw his exorcist's attire as both more posh and stylish, his client was a more normal citizen than a spiritual person, so it was better this way.

Even by car, it took about two hours since he had received the message till he had reached the destination. Nevertheless, his customer looked more positively surprised than sadly displeased with the time of his arrival, which on the other hand made Matoba think the man must have had a rather inadequate opinion about the Matoba clan's reliability. Luckily the task alone was more than trivial, at least for the head of Matoba clan. The exorcist took care of it quickly and without an effort, finishing his job in less than an hour, and this even included a lunch with politicians. Mission number one was accomplished in less time than he anticipated, leaving him free for the rest of the day.

It was early evening; he could easily tell by looking at the place of sun on the horizon. If all went well, he would meet Natsume Reiko's successor in less than two hours from now. The thought alone was making him to shiver with impatience. He hoped Natsume would not be in a nasty mood as he had been in rather often - maybe even during all of their past meetings. Either way, though, for now Matoba had quite a long way to drive, and the small hedgehog currently crossing the road in front his car, halting the car in its tracks, was doing its best to teach the driver the virtue of patience.

The animal was making its tiny steps either quickly or slowly - depending on one's opinion, although it looked like Matoba did not have any specified one. He had to stop his car by instinct and it was really sudden, but now he was seeing the hedgehog, as if it was carrying an invisible banner, on which the message written was saying, "do not hurry, if something is destined to happen, it will happen anyway."

Matoba hoped so, as he stepped on the accelerator as soon as the wayfarer reached the grassy border. He sighed to summarize the event, yet soon it was a very pleasant mood that hugged him with its beneficial arms. The exorcist really felt like he was being touched, but not exactly by the state of mind, but rather by images of Natsume, which that mind was showing him, to his heart's content.

_"Natsume, I know you'll do what should be done to fix the pagoda somehow,"_ he smirked to himself slightly_, "I know I shouldn't be surprised by his next refusal to join my clan..."_ he thought once he reached the outskirts of the town he had been heading to_, __"...but why don't we take our acquaintance to the next step?"_


	7. Chapter 7

_"Aho!"_ Madara's squeaky voice was followed by the wave of some random objects, which landed on Natsume's head, hitting the boy squarely with the cat's cranky shriek. "Why are you wearing pajamas at that early hour?!" The cat screamed with alike-madness. Well, it was the weekend already and supposedly Madara had been hoping in his heart for an adventurous evening, and certainly not for a 'normal going–to-sleep' weekend.

"It's already dark outside...!" Natsume called in answer, trying to get rid of the objects which had been thrown at him, soon seeing them landing onto the floor, around his still steaming body. He ruffled his wet hair to make sure there were not any more items left. He had just returned from a bath and he'd had his supper quite long ago, so he was planning to go to bed rather soon, once finally having such an opportunity.

"It's still daytime... Just look... There... there's no moon in the sky yet!" The cat stretched his paw once, having jumped on the window frame.

"But you can see the stars... can't you, sensei?" Natsume joined the maneki neko as he pointed the visible part of sky with his finger. "I'm not in mood to go anywhere." The pointing finger directed itself to Madara and moved its tip up and down a few times, just before the cat's nose. "I had enough activity for the last few days."

Natsume crossed the room as he laid on his bed. He put his hands behind the head and looked at the empty ceiling. He almost managed to connect to his current stream of thoughts, but in the end he was not allowed to do so. His eyebrows narrowed slightly as Madara continued his grumbling, still only spouting annoyance.

"Ohhh..." the cat lay on his back to show his growing discontentment, "I want to go somewhere!"

"Sensei," Natsume rose to sit as he pinned his frustrated eyes to the cat, which was clearly messing around, "I can clearly see you just want to go carousing. And I won't cooperate with that attitude."

_"Crap! He found out my plan!"_ Madara felt like something fairly heavy flew just over his porcelain-like ears. Their tips quivered under the thought automatically, quickly convincing Natsume in his last assumption. Now the boy was almost sure the assumption was more than accurate; he could see it clearly written all over Madara's dull expression.

"You're helpless, sensei." The blond continued, his voice dyed in admonishment, "For real, you should learn how to overcome your thirst, at least sometimes... otherwise you'll become a tramp and I won't have any use of you."

"Even guardians need to go to the party sometimes..." The cat took up the argument, even though he did not feel himself as destined to be the winner here.

"Yes, with the opponent," the retort came sooner than Madara expected, and there was more of it yet to come. "Guardians are meant to watch what they have declared, not to play all day and night long to be later drunk and dopey at the moment somebody needs them," the boy stated firmly whilst his guardian surrendered, now towing the line.

Natsume sighed once looking at the cat, which currently was sitting quiet as a mouse, but his defeated look awaked the boy's compassion. The image of the sake Shigeru had given to Natsume a few days ago, now came to his mind and made him to get up. _"Sensei will probably forget my harsh words once he sees the bottle."_ Probably, but there were some obstacles on the way to make it happen, and the first one of them was ready to appear, soon rushing into the room through the ajar window.

A huge semi-amorphous youkai entered the room, not that it knew a custom of knocking, and now it was twisting and coiling its moving body around Natsume's.

"Reiko..." The youkai called out hopefully. Natsume was about to start his speech already, but it looked like he had to wait for his round, "Natsume... Reiko." The loud call echoed through the walls of his room, and supposedly it kept on passing through them further, on its way to the other barriers. Natsume was glad his family could not hear the howling sound, while the ghost continued, "It has been a while, but I'm sure you'll be happy with what I shall tell you."

Natsume estimated the youkai did not mean any harm, and rather soon he got interested in the message Reiko's friend was about to share with him. Despite the fact Natsume was Reiko's successor, he did not know too much about her, for he welcomed an opportunity to learn something new with opened arms. "I've visited all the caves I wished to see before leaving this world... Now... I can stay by your side forever... I won't -" the call had been stopped by a cat-headbutt, which was followed by that cat's conceited voice. It looked like Madara also had his round ahead of Natsume's.

"It's Reiko's grandson!" The cat informed, at once extracting from the hovering ayakashi a sound similar to a radio which was turned off too suddenly.

"It's not Reiko?" The ghost neared its shifting face closer to Natsume's, which freaked Natsume out, but the boy tried his best to stay down on earth . "I see now... so you're Reiko's grandson..." The howling stopped for a moment letting, the silence speak its part, "It must mean Reiko is not traversing through this world anymore... I... I... I... I've made a promise with her once... we were playing a game and she won... but she agreed for I could go to all the caves I wished... before she would give me the appointed task... and it's too late now..." The youkai sounded like it had saddened somewhat. "I can't pass through the barrier of this world... being fettered with the promise we had made..."

"Oi, the cave spirit...!" Natsume quickly drew the ayakashi's attention, "Is your name written in the Book of Friends?"

"The... Book of Friends..." The youkai wondered, "yes, my name-"

"I will return it to you." Natsume's words colored the spirit's voice with a blazing hope.

"Can... can you do it?" The amorphic shape twisted around Natsume, changing its form to something a bit more stable, "Yes... you can see me... if you return my name, this form will dissolve... I won't be useful to you anymore... if I had deceived Reiko, I would never be able to leave this world anyway, so if you wish to give me your orders I will follow..." It looked like the youkai was a really loyal friend Reiko had managed to collect.

"Thank you," Natsume smiled warmly, "I hope your next stop will be a nice place. I'm sure if my grandmother was still alive, she would return your name as well." Natsume said with gratification, but he added in his thoughts_, "...Reiko probably tried to mobilize this youkai to finish its old mundane affairs, so it'd be freed from this world..."_ He moved to reach for the book as he kneeled down on his bed, at once preparing himself for the current job, "Now... I'll return your name now."

-v-

In the end it took Matoba a little longer to reach Natsume's house. Apart from the random weasels, foxes and another nocturnal creatures which supposedly had just started to wake up at the falling twilight, and which seemed to make less than little of the evening traffic, his eye-patch was making it more difficult to estimate the distance generally, especially in the night conditions, for he had been forced to take a lesson in patience, regardless of his innate resistance.

He stopped the car just by Natsume's house and soon he stepped to the main door. _"I sense it..._" the exorcist thought, once having knocked on the building_, "One or… at least one is quite powerful... maybe I'll have a chance to..."_

Then he was welcomed by Touko, whose soaking hands and risen sleeves suggested she was in the middle of washing dishes. The woman welcomed him though rather warmly. Once she closed the door behind him, she stepped to the stairs as she called out loudly so Natsume could hear her voice from the lower floor.

"Takashi-kun!" Touko's voice called Natsume's mind back from the sea of emptiness, where it has been dissolving itself together with the youkai's problem and with the youkai alone. "Takashi-kun!" Natsume felt like if he was waking up from the very pleasant dream (wherein he had seen a flashback from his grandmother's past), but maybe it was just the very pleasant dream he was waking up to? "Takashi-kun! You have a guest! Takashi-kun...!"

Natsume had just woke up, but hearing the steps on the stairs, in hurry he started to improve as well the bed he was sitting on, as his clothes, which looked visibly disordered. The strong wind that had been blowing during the quest of returning the spirit's name, had turned the place upside down.

"Here, here, please come in." Natsume could hear Touko's voice, currently coming just from behind the door of his room, on which the woman knocked rather early, and which earlier yet she slid open. "Please, make yourself comfortable." Touko said, once she had let Matoba enter Natsume's room, which she closed quickly afterwards, at once returning to her late occupation.

"Oi, look Natsume! This is that Matoba kid!" Madara pointed at the figure with his stretched paw.


	8. Chapter 8

It would be hard to estimate who here looked and felt more shocked, Natsume or Matoba.

_"It's the devil's luck Touko hasn't peeked inside the room..."_ Natsume thought as he moved on the sofa, as imperceptibly as he had ever managed. It was also the devil's luck that he had managed to hide the Book of Friends under the quilt, before the door had been opened; but now he would not be able to move it from there, regardless of anything, until the exorcist was gone.

Natsume looked at the other man, quickly shocked with today's outfit – probably even more than by his visit alone. It felt like a stone hit the back of the sandy head, and there was an ethereal-black curtain that fell on the line of Natsume's golden eyes, visibly deadening their glitter.

Matoba was kicked out of his mind temporary once he saw the image before him. Was it the same stone that hit the exorcist's head or was it a different one?

Natsume was sitting on his bedding, disarrayed, with his pajamas all messed up, the same as his hair. _"What... what was he doing?"_ Matoba's eye squinted as it keenly scanned Natsume's look, but its owner could swear he had sensed a youkai's presence mere minutes ago.

"Ma... toba-san..." Natsume stuttered, still rather surprised. He was unknowingly indebted to the exorcist that the other man had not asked his question aloud; Natsume really would not know what to answer. But he felt like either he wanted or had to say something, anyway, and there was nothing more accurate to say, than:

"It's not as it looks like!"

Well, well... really? From Matoba's view it clearly looked like Natsume had already had some contact with youkai_. "Why am I justifying myself before this guy anyway?"_ The thought passed through Natsume's mind, but he had no time to reflect upon it.

"And it's true!" the amber eyes moved to Matoba's onyx one, now gazing at him with determined expectation. Although, Natsume knew that to expect anything from Matoba was probably too much, so he quickly exchanged the expectation for hope.

His sensei observed the scene in silence from the room's corner; there was not too much the cat could do about the current state of affairs.

"Natsume..." Matoba's smile appeared on his lips, making Natsume both scared and relieved, "I won't ask the details..." an unidentified emotion sounded in his voice. "You wouldn't tell me anyway, I assume."

It was quite accurate. Like Natsume would tell him about the Book of Friends; over his dead body. But now, Natsume was quite happy with Matoba's visit. He has been thinking about this man rather intensely for the past days; he had even imagined a solution to change his mind about youkai. In the face of this solution however, the current situation did not look too promising.

But the Book of Friends was more important. Therefore Natsume decided to leave the exorcist with his opinion, regardless of what kind of opinion Matoba would establish about him.

"Please, have a seat, I'll prepare a tea for us-" The boy spoke vacantly, but then he was shot down mercilessly by Madara's laser-like eyes.

It seemed the sailing stone that had first hit Matoba upon seeing Natsume all messed up, then hit Natsume when he saw Matoba's suit, had finally made its way to Madara. _"That idiot!" _Madara thought, almost overturning in the room's corner, where he has been sitting. It was good his disciple at least could understand him, without words being spoken. Natsume caught hold of the cat's hint at once, starting to think of any rational excuse to cancel his late proposition. Matoba unknowingly lent him a hand.

"Don't bother yourself with this," he stepped to take the offered seat, "I'm leaving soon."

"By the way..." Natsume quickly adapted to the situation, although the tea offer had been called off suspiciously easily, but for now it was gone. "Don't wear such formal clothes when coming to my house!" the boy narrowed his eyebrows as he looked at Matoba, likely upset, "What do you think I'll tell my family?!"

"My, my... don't panic," Matoba smirked, seemingly amused, before he continued, "I've told them everything..." he looked at Natsume, soon finding his frightened expression almost entertaining.

"What... ah! ...what have you told them?!" Natsume's voice sounded like his life was swaying on some kind of scale.

"I said I'm on my way from a funeral..." He replied unconcernedly.

"That's! That's really bad...!" Natsume's dismay deepened, "Don't tell them scary things like that!"

"Just kidding..." Matoba closed his eye but he sighed with boredom. "You believe things too easily."

"Geez..." Natsume sighed with now falling tension, as he calmed down a little. "You could have informed me somehow about the time of your visit today..." his irises moved to the corners of his eyes, but he started to speak more naturally.

"Well... I'm here now anyway, whether you like it or not." That cynical-forbearing smile of his was covering Matoba's features, as Natsume recognized once he had let his sight meet Matoba's gaze for a second.

And looking at it now, Natsume recognized and realized that he liked this one of the other man's expressions after all; for he gave up on prolonging the last thread.

Especially since there was at least one much more important thing Natsume had to do now. He had to, or rather he wanted, to move the Book of Friends, which was laying under the quilt between him and Matoba, closer to himself, somehow. But he knew he would have to stay completely focused on every move he would make, so he needed to develop a strategy.

"I suppose you came here to tell me some details about the work in pagoda." The boy changed the topic as he rose up from the bed. He crossed the room as he squatted before the cat to stroke him. _"Nyanko-sensei... please, cooperate! I need your help here!" _he thought with concentration, but he directed his eyes to the exorcist to hear what he was about to say.

"We may go on the next Friday or Saturday, and it's quite far away from here... a few hours by car one way. Well, actually... It'd been good if you had at least two days." The exorcist said, at once getting an impression that something in Natsume's current behavior was definitely off. The image of Natsume playing with the cat during his visit, at Natsume's home moreover, was not fitting properly enough; Matoba wondered if Natsume was even listening to him... and was it even possible Natsume became that close to him, to feel he could act naturally and without any restraint? Anyway, he added, "I'll pick you up at five in the afternoon. And about the task, I want you to find the missing Jizo statues to restore one of the temple's barriers."

"I see..." Natsume answered, though rather vacantly, for he has been only half-listening.

_"Aho! Don't leave Matoba with the book within his range...!"_ Madara screamed with his eyes, but he calmed down rather soon, realizing Natsume had a plan. Natsume had left Matoba with the book in his range, so that once he stopped playing with the cat, he would have better access to this book.

Natsume returned to the sofa, where he sat, now visibly closer to Matoba though, than he had been before. He knew it had to look strange, and so for sure it did, but now at least he could feel the book's hard cover resting below his current seat, almost... almost directly beneath the place he was sitting. His hand intuitively touched the vicinity of the book's location, but this move made Natsume lose his balance. Matoba was sitting very close to him, and Natsume even could feel some kind of attraction which in some erratic way was pushing his body toward the exorcist; he felt pleasant finding support on the other's body.

Matoba's eye widened, but his heart was beating like a cicada which had just opened its wings, for the very first time, after the long years of staying in darkness of stagnation. But his lucid mind led his hands, which, as gently as decisively, caught Natsume's wrists, at once removing the other's trembling hands from his chest and lap, to put them back on the bed's surface.

"You won't have me so easily," the exorcist stated firmly, but he smiled in some cocky way, "Natsume-kun... I know... you're trying to hide something from me. What's under that layer?" His question made Natsume dizzy. The boy really was not prepared for this situation; he had no idea what he could, and what he would say.

_"It's really bad!"_ Madara screamed in his mind.

"T-that's..." Natsume started to talk, but it looked like he was simply too scared to invent any believable excuse. It was really wearisome that not even one single option appeared in his empty mind, but all his hope was urgently fading. The image of Matoba's hand resting just next to the book, almost... almost on it, made Natsume feel like he was about to faint. He knew Matoba's question unequivocally meant game over. Yet even though the game had ended, he felt uncommonly alive. He begged either the reality or the all the omnipresent gods, or these both at the same time, for any way out to appear, but he knew it clearly looked like a dead end. Eventually, his powerless hands covered the book's location.

"Please, I beg you!" Natsume ultimately confessed his endless and overwhelming embarrassment, "I know probably it's too much to ask, but if I can... if I could..." he looked rather desperate, "I beg you! Don't remove that bedding...! No matter what...!" his fingers immersed themselves in the quilt's fluffy surface.

Natsume was completely aware that from Matoba's view he was probably looking now even more desperate than Matoba did when asking him about joining his clan.

Nevertheless, Matoba Seiji, who was both the Head of Matoba clan and also just himself, had too much to lose and too much to gain, to let himself play the fool. If it had not been for the recent training of his patience in the car, probably he would have been more demanding, and the Book of Friends would had been revealed to his eye in less than a minute; but this was not the case, thanks to his astounding restraint.

He quickly analyzed all the possible future scenarios and did the calculations about every one of them, to ensure he did not make a wrong choice. In most of the situations he would rather ignore Natsume's pleas than go along with them, currently though... he kept in his mind the fact, that now, they were not staying in one of his clan's possessions, but in Natsume's house. And the other thing was, it all looked somehow private and personal, and he rather valued things concerning privacy.

"Pitiful," he did not want to say 'disappointing', but in Natsume's eyes the undefined source of Matoba's smile emanated with mysterious warmth. Natsume had no idea why Matoba was smiling, it seemed so contradictive towards his latest statement; on the other hand it, was somehow fitting. It did not change the fact that Natsume felt like he was about to lose his life in a single slash of a sword.

Matoba was holding this sword and he was holding it with full awareness, but he did not want to lose his own life, for he decided it better to slide it into its invisible sheath.

"I won't do that." The older man closed his eye once he decided, but his words touched Natsume more than deeply. He was really astonished with the understanding, supremacy, and Matoba's authentic ability to use the force of forbearance. Natsume was slowly getting to know the better side of his present companion; and the more he was getting to know, the more he was becoming enticed. Not that it was changing anything in his current position... "Satisfied?" Matoba's smile re-appeared, but Natsume could clearly see the cynical shadow of that smile joining and merging with its forbearing half.

"Thank you...!" The boy called out decidedly and soon he repeated and added, "Thank you! I'll definitely try to help you at the pagoda, as much as I'll only be able to!" Natsume was bowing on his knees on his disarrayed bed, which made Matoba think he would keep that image in mind. "I'll stay all the weekend!"

"I'll keep it in mind..." Matoba said as he put his cold, composed hand on Natsume's warm, trembling ones to share with the blond some of his own composure. He thought the boy needed it now more than usual; not that he did not want to touch Natsume's hand anyway. "I'm on my way," He was not actually... he originally had planned to stay for at least a few hours, but supposedly he had changed his mind sometime. "Till the next time." The hand was taken as well as its owner rose to leave the room.

Matoba crossed the room as he stepped to its exit. "By the way..." he asked once he put his hand on the doorframe. "Were you thinking about me, Natsume-kun? I mean these last few days." In Natsume's ears, his words sounded like the leaves of trees dancing in the mild summer breeze, "or maybe it's too much to ask about something that insignificant..." The exorcist's eye was reflecting a vague homesickness, even though he was still smiling. "Well... because I was thinking about you constantly. I know you won't join my clan in a day or two... but... nevermind." To Natsume's content, Matoba cut off his last sentence, and replaced it with another one, "We'll see each other again soon." He slid the door open as he removed his fingers from the doorframe to soon disappear behind it.

In his mind, Natsume caught Matoba's ponytail and pulled him back into the room, though the Matoba in the real world had just disappeared behind the closing door. He was really shocked once he had realized the exorcist was no longer present in the room; strangely, he felt like he had stopped him somehow anyway, even though he did not. But a short while later, just having heard the sound of the car leaving, he fell on his bed like a rock thrown into a deep lake.

Though quickly he realized he had felt much better with Matoba's presence a few mere minutes ago than without it currently, even in spite of how irrationally that undeniable fact felt to him, but it was the case. Either way, he has been rescued... again, he knew the situation would not keep on repeating itself endlessly. He knew in the mundane world everything was changing, in a never-ending circle.

* * *

><p>Matoba: We will see each other again soon.<p>

A voice from beyond: Yes, you will, because I am the author of this story, so better don't make anything stupid. (I mean don't act out of character.)

Nanase: Our boss has rather short-temper *adjusts her glasses* so can you tell us when it'll be? _*more precisely*_

Shiki *dance on the floor of old wooden manor*

The voice from beyond: In two hours from now on.


	9. Chapter 9

Everything was changing in a never-ending cycle, and though Matoba knew about it, he did not fully comprehend its ramifications.

He has already managed to reach his clan's area, which was not such an easy task, given his eye-patch and the fact that it was currently night. It did not help that he wanted to turn his car back with every passing mile. For his own sake, he did not give himself any time to brood over anything else on his way back because he was forced to concentrate on the road. And now, finally, he was almost home, or rather at his current lodgings.

He stopped his car and left it behind as he entered the wooden building.

He walked past the guard bowing to him, passing straight on by in silence as he strode towards his room.

He entered the room and exchanged his outfit for a more comfortable one, which was a bright juban-robe he usually wore as an undergarment of for the kimono he also flung over his shoulders.

Despite the rather warm summer night, the air was still chilly in the heart of the forest, which was only separated from him by a thin wooden wall.

He left his room yet for a moment, but he went to the bathroom to prepare himself for sleep.

Finally back, he stepped up to his bed, but he would not be able to fall asleep too soon. Judging the current situation, he supposed his rational mind was the one that had lead his body to bed, but his emotions were not calm enough to allow him passage through the gates into the world of dreams.

He set the thought of going to sleep aside for now as he stepped to the desk, where he sat to finish some paperwork. Not that it was needed for today or tomorrow, but if it had to be done one day anyway, it could be done now as well.

Matoba looked at the papers with a measured interest but he reached for a brush to carry out on his current task**. **

The job was easy since he could perform it almost vacantly; therefore, instead of corralling his thoughts to the task, he let them roam freely.

The image of Natsume from the meeting that day knocked on his mind, and so he opened the door to welcome it, with a general sense of pleasure. It was as daunting as it was exciting and also somewhat disturbing, but really, what kind of opinion should one have based off that last performance? It had been a long time since Matoba had realized long ago that Natsume's heart had already been completely stolen by youkai, but he had not thought that it had been so completely spirited away.

_"Those youkai have a complete hold on his heart, geez... I already knew that before, but…"_ Matoba paused in his thoughts as he put the next completed page away.

_"__I'll definitely try to help you at the pagoda, as much as I'll only be able to! I'll stay all weekend!" _Not that he did not mind Natsume's words, but the accompanying image that came to mind when he remembered those words made his hand shiver. He stopped writting for a moment.

_"I wonder if he was sleeping with these youkai... What could he have been doing?"_ He seriously wondered. But well, perhaps Natsume had simply met with one or two of those youkai supposedly under his command (Matoba had seen him once accompanied by many powerful youkai, and all of them looked obedient towards the boy). It might also have been that cat's friend. Regardless how long or hard he puzzled over it, it was impossible for him to untangle the truth behind the event. Still, he tried to continue his paperwork.

He tried to continue, but it looked like his mind longed to continue to play with him. He recalled the feeling of Natsume's hand moving on his lap, which instantly aroused him.

He could not recall the last time such thoughts paid him a visit, but his mind quickly picked up on his body's suggestion. He rather welcomed the manifestations of the longing in his mind. He could play with them freely now, and he would do so willingly, just like how Natsume had been with the cat; at least the outcome would be unknown equally, especially since he had refused to listen to the contradicting opinions his mind and body were trying to enforce on him.

Either way, the work was finished for today. He did not feel like continuing. But he still stayed by his desk for a while, vacantly looking over the unfinished documents. The rest were mere reports. They did not need too much attention so he might as well give them to Nanase.

He rose from his seat, but he accidentally glanced at the clock which was put on the desk. Suddenly, it was as though a rock – or perhaps a very heavy clock - had struck him in the head. Only half an hour had passed since he had returned, but these hours had felt like entire eras. And he was destined to wait away the entire week? He did not even bother himself with converting those long ages to hours.

_"I'm insane..."_ Matoba sighed as he rised his hand to his forehead, _"It's impossible he'd do it for me."_ But he picked up the car key resting just next to the papers and he stepped to the wardrobe to wrap a sash around his kimono, tying it up soon after. _"I really have no idea what I'll tell you when we meet, Natsume."_

At least every last detail from their today's meeting was still in his mind, including Natsume's request-suggestion to let him know if and when he would be visiting. Not that Matoba cared in general, but it was not any problem for him to comply with Natsume's wish. He left the room, passing by the half-sleeping guard. Before leaving the building, he brought with him three unoccupied shiki.

Two shiki were packed into the car, though it looked like the third would not fit. _"Two should do,"_ Matoba thought as he closed the car door and started the engine.

It was quite a cold night, the exorcist thought, once having confirmed all the windows in his car were closed. Maybe it was because he was dressed too lightly. Everything he was wearing was loose, the only firm element being a flimsy sash, no matter how firmly it was tied around him.

He had absently put on geta sandals (which were a part of his daily outfit, so it was instinctive), which turned out to be completely incompatible with the pedals. He chose to take them off before he reached a larger road. Luckily, it was less than an hour before he would reach Natsume's house.

-v-

"Here you go, sensei." Natsume said casually yet respectfully and gratefully as he placed the bottle of luxurious liquor in front of the cat's pillow, where Madara was curled up in a sleeping ball of porcelain fur.

It had been about an hour since Matoba had left the place; and during that hour, most of things in Natsume's life had returned to normal.

It was still too early to let his guard down, but he could not have known that. He did not anticipate any more unexpected things to happen that day. After all, what else could possibly happen?

A youkai appearance had already been removed from his list of possibilities; well... there were always many possible youkai that could appear, but that wasn't any different from any other day. Plus, the day's youkai was already gone – and it was gone for good. There will not be any more of them. Matoba had been removed from the list even before the youkai since there was only one Matoba while the youkai numbered many and he had only just left. By his estimations these were probably the two worst options – youkai and their born enemy.

Natsume estimated quite accurately, but there was a missing link to his inner debate, and he was about to see what it was for himself soon.

Meanwhile, Madara indulged in his drink , but he was a little disappointed with a fact he was drinking alone since he dared to ask.

"Oi, Natsume..." The cat sounded hopeful, "Let's go to the forest, I want to have a chat with someone."

_"We can have a chat here, can't we, sensei?"_

Natsume left the thought before it could be spoken. Maybe it was just the cat's current concerned expression, or perhaps the past few hours had cowed him slightly. He sighed with disinterest, but he answered positively, at least for Madara.

"I'm going to sleep now, but you're free to go." he smiled to his sensei warmly.

The cat was gone in less than a minute, but at least Natsume knew where to look for him just in case. Not like there was going to be such a need, anyways – or so he continued to think.

Freed from all distracting sidetracks, he could finally listen to his own thoughts. There were so many of them knocking to his mind for the past fifty minutes. He recalled Matoba's visit, not for the first time during the last hour, but now, sitting alone he could allow himself to delve deeper in his reminiscences.

He wondered if there was some regularity in the fact that after time he met Matoba, he felt like his spirit was being worn down. At least, this time he was worn out in a rather pleasant way. He knew they would meet again in a week's time; not to mention he was taken aback by Matoba's restraint, so perhaps he even felt some compassion towards the exorcist, and at the same time an analogous amount of guilt directed towards himself.

Nevertheless, he was rather content he could finally go to sleep as he turned a light off, and stepped to the bed. Already his mind was gifting him with inviting thoughts, over which he crossed like a bridge into the dreamland's dimension. He was not destined to stay there for too long anyway - just less than another fifty minutes or so. But for now, he was sleeping peacefully and contently.

-v-

Matoba had already reached the destination, stopped his car, and left it, at once taking with him the remaining passengers. He went to the location from where he could see the window of Natsume's room, and he commanded his shiki to climb up and in to pass Natsume his note.

Looking at them, Matoba had his doubts about their success at this job, but oh well... maybe it would work out, somehow. He stayed hidden behind the nearby tree from where he planned to observe the scene.

The shiki stretched their ghastly-bodies and took action. Matoba did not know what they were doing - they even developed some kind of teamwork, which was completely incomprehensible to the exorcist, but he did not mind. The first shiki was currently helping the second one, folding its hands into some kind of platform upon which its collaborator was trying to climb.

The shiki-ladder overturned rather quickly though, at once noisily thumping onto the heavy ground. Matoba hoped they would not startle Natsume too much. It was very kind of him to have such an understanding and good intentions... But now, really, these things really were rather helpless. Instead, their master decided to have his own hand in it. He left his hideout and joined the shiki under the wall beneath Natsume's window.

He helped the supporting shiki keep balance by holding its streamlined body to stabilize it a little. From there, the shiki could continue lifting the other up, finally resulting in one of them successfully entering Natsume's opened window.

_"Somehow they did it."_ Matoba confirmed once he had returned behind his sheltering tree.

He could hear Natsume's stifled scream and the series of rumbles that followed after it, which assured him the boy had received his message.

_"Look out the window."_ Natsume read the note, just after he had gotten rid of Matoba's servants.

He had not meant any harm, but damn, those things freaked him out like hell. The first one had collapsed, struck by his fist the moment Natsume's eyes had opened to see the scary shape just in their field of vision. The second one was somehow too lively and Natsume had not felt safe keeping it 'at home', so he had taken it down instinctively. Not that Matoba cared.

As for the note, it was pretty terse; and what could the sender possibly want to achieve by making him through the window? Wave at him? Natsume would have expected this kind of note from the middle class youkai than from the high class exorcist, but he gave up on the analysis.

He hid the Book of Friends under his bed's mattress; he could not think of a better place to hide it, but he for the time being it felt comparatively safe. He neither turned on the light nor did he look out the window, but he did in fact throw out the defeated shiki. That was answer enough for Matoba.

Natsume rushed to the bathroom to refresh himself rather quickly, but quietly he went down the stairs on his way to the entrance door. Shigeru and Touko were already sleeping and he did not want to wake them. He put on a rogue pair of slippers in his way – he didn't know whose – in the dark before he left the house.

He left in the direction he assumed he might find the sender of this note, but he barely managed to choke his scream in once again when he felt a hand grasp his wrist and reel him in.

* * *

><p>Matoba: Natsume's heart has been completely stolen by youkai.<p>

Voice from beyond: Thank you, Captain Obvious. Not like anybody missed it...

Matoba's masked servant: You're insulting my Master!

Matoba: I see... it is the voice from beyond again. Thank you for bringing me closer to the human world**. **Could you also help me with making Natsume join- *hit by a sailing stone*

Matoba's masked servant: The Head is still speaking!

Voice from beyond *doesn't even bother with a reply*

Matoba's masked servant: And call him Matoba-sa-" *hit by a sailing stone*

Shikis *dance on the manor's crumbling roof*

Voice from beyond *fades away*

Matoba *puts his hand on the back of his head, rising up from the pool of sacred water* _*bathed in a sacred spring* *hears the voice of his mind*_

Voice from beyond: Who do you think is supposed to make him join your clan?

Matoba *wrings his ponytail of the sacred water, finds his clothes all wet, finds himself soaked to the skin*

Voice from beyond: I'll do what I can (don't expect too much though), but there is also Natsume's request I have to do something about, so you better prepare yourself as well.

Matoba: Natsume's request?

Voice from beyond *dissappears*

Nanase: Young Master, perhaps it was referring to when somebody was trying to exorcise you off all beings, living and non-living, just a moment ago?

Matoba: It must have been Natsume.

Nanase: He should have been punished... *takes off her glasses, puts on sinister smile*

Matoba *imagines*

Shikis *some fall down to the manor's floor making the holes in roof*

Nanase: But, but, but... the next time you'll put your hands on him, won't you?

Matoba: Probably... the next time *gets irritated*

Natori: Can't he just be happy with what he already has? *loses his heart*

Hiiragi: Master, please don't let yourself be swayed by this person's behavior.

Sasago: You have a session very early tomorrow, just come back for the rest.

Natori *gets downcast*

Hiiragi: Yes, did you forget? Don't waste your time here.

Madara *runs in the spirits' direction* Finally found somebody!

Natori: Oi, that's... Natsume's cat! *gets surprised* What are you doing here? Isn't your place supposed to be by his side?

Madara: Hm! I've got the pass today! See! *jumps a few times once right once left to demonstrate his presence more clearly* *paw waves the bottle of sake*

Natori *shocked* What would allow Natsume let you wander so far from him? What happened to guarding him? I really wonder how you managed to distract him so far as to even get your paws on such expensive booze. *adjusts his glasses* It's almost suspicious.

Madara: I told him I wanted to go to the party and so … it happened. Maybe there's a good configuration in the stars today or something, or the gods finally answered my prayers…

Natori: You were praying to the gods for benefits in the form of free night and booze? _It's rather arrogant… _By the way… it's already Friday, why isn't Natsume here with you?

Madara: He's in bed now.

Natori: Well, that's quite logical. *considers to give up on the discussion*

Hiiragi: It'd be difficult for him to be at two places at the same time after all…


	10. Chapter 10

"Natsume," There was that tension in Natsume, hearing his name currently spoken by Matoba. He turned to face him and put his free hand – the one not captured by the other's – on the exorcist's forearm to draw his attention.

"Matoba-san...!" Natsume whispered as loudly as was possible. He did not want to chat here or make a commotion for fear of waking his family, who were sleeping only a few meters away. "Let's go my room. Please don't make any noise," Natsume said rather hurriedly as he tugged on the fabric of the other's kimono. He stepped forward to leave, but halted in place when Matoba pulled on the wrist Natsume had held captive, stopping him for a second.

Matoba was not sure how he should interpret Natsume's moves and actions ever since the start of their meeting for he was fully aware his excitement may have distorted the actions' true forms and meanings. Not like there was anything he could do about it. At least Natsume did not appear to be in a nasty mood, which was rather convenient. He inhaled the night air deeply as he closed his eyes.

_"Natsume..."_

Natsume was not sure whether Matoba had just said something to him or whether it had just been his imagination, nor was he sure what exactly Matoba had done a moment ago to make him freeze in place again. Either way, seeing him here and now completely startled him. That much he could tell. And their faces were so near... he could even feel the other's breaths. It hit him as he realized it was impossible for him to deny the desire to close the distance even more. His body shivered at the thought but somehow he managed to hold his position.

Yet, Natsume felt as though time had stopped for the moment. He thanked the bright crescent moon visible in the sky as soon as he caught its brilliant shape out of the corner of his eye. Perhaps the sight of it was the only reason that he was somehow able to stay present in this world. Surprised, he noticed he had been pulling at Matoba's robe again. This time he had done it without himself knowing, which was how he ended up dragging the exorcist into the house.

The thought that he might have been put under some kind of spell passed through Natsume's mind over the short journey across the front door, but it looked like his mind was ricocheting everywhere at once, too excited to cling to a thought for more than a second before forgetting that it ever appeared.

"Don't make a sound," he repeated quietly in case Matoba had forgotten as he closed the main door behind him.

Matoba hadn't been planning to, but while he was sliding off his zori in the darkness of the vestibule, he felt Natsume's hand on the back of his head, probably accidentally and entirely without any meaning. He definitely was not in a state for Natsume to be making any ambiguous moves, especially ones involving touching his body.

Intuitively determining the blond's current location in the darkness, the exorcist stepped towards him, eventually pressing Natsume against the nearest wall.

Natsume's back met the wall but he could feel every single muscle through the thin fabric of their clothes, including Matoba's erection rubbed against his own growing hardness. It wasn't long before he began to pant.

"Ah... ahh..." Natsume kept his heavy breathing as quiet as he could, but he knew he had to stop. Touko and Shigeru were sleeping just a few rooms down. But regardless of what his rational mind knew, his hands had clenched themselves tightly around the other's kimono fabric around the taller man's waist and up behind the shoulder blade, bringing Matoba's body even closer to him.

_"This... Nnn...This is really bad!" _Natsume knew it was, but he had to face the facts: his body would not be tamed by his thoughts or listen to his commands so easily. Now, it even seemed to be more loyal to the Matoba clan than to himself, and he was still getting harder. He could not recall the last time he had ever felt like this. It pissed him off a bit that it was Matoba making him feel this way, but he gave up on fighting his subconscious crushes for now.

"Hah... Please... Let's head to my room first," Natsume tried to whisper, but his trembling voice was disturbing the attempt. And his hands were pulling Matoba's body close against his so straightforwardly, it shocked him just how unambiguous his own gestures were. It was as though he had but very limited control over them.

At the very least, his voice woke Matoba up. He'd managed to remind them where they were standing. Continuing here would be unwise.

"Be very quiet," Natsume reminded him as he grasped Matoba's hand to lead him through the stairs in the darkness. He released it the moment he entered the door.

The door shut, Matoba was then sent to the bed by Natsume's unspoken gesture.

Natsume turned on the lamp on his desk. The main light would probably be too strong, as he thought about Touko, but he wanted to see his current companion, so he decided to go with a mild light. Then, he went to take a place by the other.

Matoba knew that Natsume would go along with his whim, at least to some extent he had seen it for himself that it was possible just a moment ago, but since he was not fully convinced, he could still savor that element of the unknown.

Natsume had just sat on the bed but he realized he really liked Matoba's current look. His smile looked definitely far too overly cynical (and was a bit scary) but it was warm all the same.

Eventually, they moved closer to each other, almost falling into each other's arms. Matoba's hand fell over Natsume's temple, partially sinking itself in the sandy hair.

"Ah... ahh..." Natsume groaned as their lips lightly brushed once they had moved into a slack embrace. Strangely, he did not feel any fear or anxiety. He placed his left hand timidly over Matoba's eye patch, as he looked at the exorcist through hooded eyes before closing them under the overwhelming pressure. He realized it was hard to breathe.

_"Matoba-san…"_ it was obvious it was him, but Natsume really felt like they were meeting for the very first time, or, alternatively, that they were having a reunion as strangers. He had an impression, as though this were something that he'd known somewhere in the distant past and that he'd forgotten about it at some point in time through space.

Matoba's moved the hand buried in Natsume's hair as he tilted the latter's head closer to his. Natsume felt the other's tongue sliding a single long line over his lips before sliding into his mouth. It felt amazing enough to make him half-open his lips in a sign of invitation, and soon he had them open completely, allowing Matoba to push himself into a fervent kiss.

Natsume hung his hand over Matoba's shoulder, but the kimono's slippery fabric easily fell over his torso and eventually rested on his lap. He moved his second hand into Matoba's hair; he really wanted to touch it.

The kiss broke, leaving Natsume speechless. The arousal was running too rampant through his body for him to utter a single word. But, looking at things as they are now... Well, he wasn't sure he could focus on anything other than Matoba, currently sitting before him. Since there was nothing to say, he decided to simply lose himself to the flow of the current dream. If he had something to say, his body or mind will do it somehow in his place. Until then he would experience what is offered to him, he decided.

"Aahh... hah..." Natsume moaned as he felt Matoba licking and biting his neck, but the latter's cold hands traveling randomly over the fabric of his pajamas were driving him crazy. They might be cold, but he could swear they actually felt like fire, made of glowing flames. It was this attraction of the opposite that made the aqueous drops bead from his heated member.

"Natsume-kun," Matoba moved himself closer to rest partially on the other's body. Their legs were still on the tatami mats, but he felt as though he had found the lone isle in a never-ending ocean. The image from their last meeting flickered through his mind, making him feel like he may fall off the land after all his effort to reach it. He did not feel like fighting his inner world of thoughts at the moment though, so he decided to let Natsume help him keep them better connected. "I know I said I won't ask any details, but..." the situation had changed. "Have you slept with any of your youkai?"

_"Eh...?"_ Though the panting made it difficult to speak, but it looked like some things were better off said. "Ah... Matoba-san, I..." Natsume really hoped that he might somehow avoid any discussion about the youkai. He could not let Matoba know about the Book of Friends. "I was thinking about you... these days." He tried to use the exorcist's body as a support since he wanted them to sit more properly for talk, but it looked like Matoba would be unwilling to cooperate with his move. "Aah... it's true." Well, it was true enough.

Natsume's words reached Matoba's heart, but it was not a reply to his latest question, and Natsume could read Matoba's unsatisfaction clearly, looking at his mistrustful expression, because he eventually continued.

"It's true... Ah... I had contact with a youkai, but we were doing nothing like that," he said, but he had the impression that there was another unspoken question. _"Then what about that bedding?"_ He added, just in case, "Once the youkai appeared, there was a very strong wind that blew around it, and it turned everything upside-down, including the bedding, my clothes and my hair." He felt Matoba's fingers sliding between his own, which he had to admit were more than welcomed.

"Sounds to me like the excuse of a small child..."

"I know how it sounds, but it's true!" Natsume repeated in case, this time more decisively.

"So," A shadow of curiosity passed over Matoba's face, "what were you actually doing with them?" He did not look angry, but he was not smiling either. Was he just interested? Natsume had realized before that he was definitely not in the state for conversation; he hoped he could finish this sooner than later. On the other hand, he was sure he did not want Matoba to think such ridiculous things about him.

"I can't tell you what I was doing with it, but I don't sleep with youkai!" The image of the Book of Friends which was safely resting beneath the bed, mere inches beneath their bodies, passed through Natsume's mind for a second. He erased it in an instant. "I know how it might look like but it's really the truth." He said, visibly affected.

"I see..." The exorcist sighed with an undefinable emotion, but his palm touched the side of Natsume's collarbone, "...So that's how it is..." _"I'd assumed he wouldn't tell me anything anyways..."_

_"How what is? I hope he believed me..."_ Natsume hoped, but he shivered under the sensation of Matoba's hands carefully examining his body through the cloth. Matoba looked visibly interested more in his current task than on their previous thread of conversation. Natsume was also more interested in what Matoba was doing and he was relieved the discussion about youkai had somehow passed without too much effort.

"Natsume," Matoba's smile looked devoid of any particular emotion. "Come closer," he said as he helped Natsume do so by pulling him closer in embrace.

Natsume was consciously thankful that Matoba situated them in such a way that the exorcist's body was supporting his. He felt himself more worn out spiritually than any other meeting with this man. This time it was not a bad feeling, though it was strangely ironic that Matoba was his support against Matoba. Still, Natsume accepted it for now.

He slid his hands down the sides of Matoba's waist as he was drawn into another passionate kiss. Matoba's hand traveled to the edge of his pants, but the moment it was inside, his loose fingers entangled around his erection, it made Natsume melt in an instant. He knew he was close. It wouldn't be long now**.**

"Aaaahhh... ahh..." He almost completely forgot that the Fujiwaras were also in the house. At least Matoba was now awake enough to prevent the possible tragedy. He did not stop his movements though, for his hand was aptly stroking the hard, lubricated object, but he had to remind the other,

"Be quiet." A bit harsh, but necessary.

"Nnhh... aah... ahhn..." Natsume just kept on moaning, though it was noticeable he was trying his best to be quiet now. It was not enough, though.

"Oh, is it... unattainable for you now?" Natsume's squinted eyes temporarily rested on the arcane smirk visiting the exorcist's face, "Would you mind if..." Matoba was enjoying Natsume's expression, so he changed the pace of his hand to move it though slower, but at the same time somehow more passionately. "I will help you..." Matoba brushed his lips against Natsume's but the latter's sounds were stoking the flames of his arousal. He still could not fully comprehend just how responsive Natsume was to his touch, though by his general estimation, he knew he should have expected this to be the case. Natsume was endlessly lost in the flood of sensation caused by Matoba's hand, but really he was trying his best to not break the kiss so he could keep from being loud (again).

Natsume was so fascinating... Matoba was completely lost, enough to even forget about himself. But some time during their play, Natsume's hand had found his own erection and was caressing it through the gentle fabric, instantly making it damp.

Natume knew he was far too excited to bear it any longer, but feeling Matoba so hard and that distinct wetness made him want to experience it more.

"Ah... hhah... hah... ah... ...wait..." Natsume was still panting, or rather half-moaning, and Matoba's slim long fingers were still wrapped around his member, though he managed to stop their motion with his voice. "Let me... ah, would you mind if I touch you...?"

Matoba did not, though he did not bother with a reply. It was obvious enough in his opinion at least. Natsume's question made him cuddle the latter's body even closer to his own as he closed Natsume's mouth with his.

Natsume accepted the non-verbal reply as he pulled on the sash of Matoba's kimono, slightly drawing its halves asides. He put his hand inside the loose underwear and enclosed it around the heated cock.

"Ah..." Natsume gasped through the kiss. Was that thing some kind of magical object? It was so warm he felt like he was frozen numb, and it was so cooperative in his hand, slick and moistening more and more so his hand could slide smoothly.

_"Hnn... so pleasant..."_ Matoba was melting under the touch of Natsume's mouth and hand, _"...Natsume, I would have never suspected that you..." _

The kiss temporarily gentled, but the exorcist continued his ministrations in the meantime, effectively drawing from Natsume painful moans that were crushed against his half-opened lips and pushing him even closer to the verge of climax.

"Ahh... ahh... hah..." Natsume's breath was heaving, and his voice wouldn't stop moaning, but he also continued what he was doing despite drowning in the sensations. Eventually, under Matoba's measured grasp, he felt himself on the verge.

_"Ah, ah... His hand... it's... ah..."_ It was carefully doing what needed to be done.

Natsume wanted to make Matoba as excited as he was feeling, and he knew what he had to do.

"Hah..." Matoba panted through the kiss, but Natsume, close to the edge, was panting in tandem with him and torturing him physically and mentally. _"Ah... aaah... It feels... ah, ah... that's... ah, Natsume..."_ He felt his hand coat with the sweat from his grasp in Natsume's hair, and his other hand was also becoming wetter, stroking Natsume.

He felt himself toeing the edge of the cliff. "Ahh... Don't stop...! Don't stop...!" Natsume didn't. Instead, he quickened the pace of his hand, automatically tightening his grasp, turning Matoba's breaths into shallow gasps.

"Nnn... naah... hah... ahh...-" And yes, it was pleasant indeed. Matoba felt himself completely lost in this depravity as Natsume's fingers were being soaked with the flowing nacre, but he somehow managed to remain concentrated on the kiss even during his finish, to enjoy it meanwhile.

Natsume felt like he could have finished while working at Matoba and he couldn't keep the sounds from emitting from his mouth, which were especially loud considering the time of night and the omnipresent silence inside the house.

"Na-tsu-me..." Matoba half-broke the kiss, but he still had his tongue pushed slightly into Natsume's mouth, "Ah, ...keep- quiet." Having uttered that, he pushed his tongue deeper inside, cutting off any possible sound Natsume might make. He shifted his grip, changing the motion of his hand as he jerked Natsume in the way the boy had been doing to him. He pressed Natsume's body stronger to himself. This was the moment Natsume realized just how much he enjoyed Matoba saying his name. "Na...-"

Natsume did not hear the whole of his name as he felt Matoba's hand tugging him as rough as he was competent under his pants, and his tongue brushing against his own. His own hand drenched. He had to break the kiss, even if for a short moment. His other hand unconsciously gave Matoba's hair a tight pull.

"Aaaaaaaaahhh... ahhh... ah..." Finally, it was over with an almost painful cry. Matoba felt himself recover as soon as Natsume's whines fondled his mind. At the same time, he felt white liquid dripping and flowing throughout his warmed fingers. He had silenced Natsume's mouth a little bit too late, and he was well aware of the noise, practically tangible in the air. Even so, their kis continued to burn very brightly.

Matoba removed his hand from Natsume's pants, before he pressed the blond against the bed, smothering his body with his own. Suddenly, a bright ray of light could be seen peeking out from beneath the door out of the corners of their eyes.

Their eyes met for a second and it seemed like they could finally understand each other without words, for the one time it was necessary.

It felt as though they'd already rehearsed this scene before – in silence, somewhere in the past, perhaps in another world – and the déjà vu was certainly helping them along.

Matoba stepped to the window, helped along by Natsume's push, urging him to leave. He had not exactly been planning on leaving yet, and especially not through the window, but somehow he found himself hanging outside the frame with four fingers one of his hands. He also somehow managed to check with his free hand that he still had the car keys inside his robe's inner pocket. He thought it may have dropped out during the play, but it was quite grueling to keep all his body's weight on the four thin fingers. Still, he somehow managed to endure it.

"Takashi-kun..." Touko's voice sounded from the stairs, and the woman knocked to Natsume's door soon after, "I heard some noises coming from here. What are you doing?"

"Ah, I'm sorry..." Natsume's mind was not yet completely situated in its proper place, but its owner was being forced to use it now, despite its reluctance. _"...Damn no, I can't tell Touko I had a dream like that!"_ He took a deep breath as he replied, "I was listening to the radio, but the reception was really poor so I had to turn it off. I'm really, really sorry for waking you up, Touko-san!" He answered from behind the door. He was really thankful that Touko has not opened.

"I see... Don't worry about that... I was afraid that something had happened, but maybe I just had a strange dream... I'm sorry if I woke you up, Takashi-kun!" It looked like Touko was really dull with sleep because she seemingly already forgot that Natsume had been talking about the radio. She only remembered the essence of his words, that everything was all right.

Matoba stayed hanging outside Natsume's window frame for a long time, but he could do nothing about the cold, wet, fluffy, and heavy paw that stepped on the tips of his fingers, at once making him fall.

Madara was on his way back from the party and was running more like a steed galloping through waste plains, or, alternatively, more like a flying lemur than a cat, jumping here and there and landing wherever at random. Matoba was not given any special treatment here.

_"I'm glad the shikis' bodies would prevent him from getting hurt. They seem elastic enough,"_ Natsume thought as Madara leapt through the window and as Matoba flashed by the house. The exorcist opened his car door and started the engine instantly, leaving the place behind even faster.

_"Hah..."_ However, in his mind he was still panting, _"...I hadn't expected that at all..." _ He wiped the sweat off his forehead with a sleeve. With his second hand now on the steering wheel, he hoped it would all pass somehow.

Natsume prayed, _"No, no, Touko. There is no car. There has never been any car. You only imagined hearing something that sounded like a car... a sonic-illusion or a projection of your half-asleep mind. There was never a car there!"_

"Touko-san...?" Natsume went up to Touko, who was now standing at the threshold of his room, which had been opened a moment ago. Natsume had already changed his clothes and fixed the place up already before he'd opened the door.

The cat was lying on its pillow, looking perfectly asleep. The room was empty and quiet, but there was a kind of energy moving through the air. At least, that was the impression Touko had, though she realized she just heard some kind of noise.

"Ah, it sounds like a car stopped by our house!" she exclaimed once she recognized what it was.

_"Please, I beg all you gods, don't let this be true!"_ Natsume begged as he led the woman to the window to show her that there, in reality, was no car. He really hoped there wouldn't be any once they reached the glass screen, at least. His hopes were heard. There really was no car.

"There is no car. There never was any," Natsume smiled as he chuckled, "Maybe you just imagined it?" The boy put his hand behind his head in a gesture of sharing fun and of playing a fool.

Touko found herself confused, but perhaps the sleep was the cause of everything, despite being wholly innocent. Nevertheless, it was a blessing she did so, and despite knowing her misplaced blame, Natsume could do nothing to correct her assumption.

Touko apologized once more for disturbing Natsume and she soon left the room. Although it was Natsume who wanted to apologize, but it was fait accompli. He had been saved. But it was by the breadth of a sandy hair. He had yet to do something about Matoba's shoes resting at the entrance. It would be all right whether he dealt with it or not. If needed, he would make up a fairy tale about the shoes being there; he knew he was good at it. But he chose to go sooner than later, taking advantage of the fact that his family was still sleeping.

He felt some kind of compassion for Matoba, whom he'd sent home barefoot, but at least he hadn't been caught in a downpour or something worse on top of that. And he should be rather satisfied, or at least Natsume hoped he was. But for now, it looked like he was starting to be not as evil as before… Maybe Matoba could be rescued one day?

* * *

><p>Natsume: Maybe Matoba-san could also be rescued one day?<p>

Natori: I think he's been rescued already...

Hiiragi *finds herself kicked out*

Madara: Nyu, nyu! Did I miss... *ears twitch a little* something important?

Natsume *finds himself relieved*

Natsume: No, no, no, definitely not. They are simply posing for a scene in some new movie with Natori-san. Just take a better look, Nyanko-sensei! And it's better we move off from here… I mean let's move from the screen as well. It'd be weird if I appeared in one...! *pulls on Madara's paw*

Natsume *catches Madara, takes a few steps away*

Madara *getting dragged by collar, flies after Natsume*

Natori: Oh, Natsume...

Natsume *turns his head* _*enjoys refreshing wind which blows his hair through*_

Natori: ...You know, if you need any help, you'll know where to find me.

Natsume: Natori-san...

Madara: Help with what?

Natsume: It isn't anything... *looks at the cat with hope in his eyes*

Natori: Oi, kitty, you simply missed some things while drinking an hour ago, but it's nothing to talk about... We miss something every day, don't we? Just don't make your hangover worse.

Natsume: Thank you, Natori-san! *smiles warmly, takes Madara under the cat's arms ready to carry him to another place*

Madara *(loses his interest,) feels his drunken head now more dizzy*

Natsume *is being rescued*

Hiiragi *pulls on Natori's shirt*

Hiiragi: Master... but what about next time...?

Natori: The next time I hope nothing will happen, even though I must say I enjoyed this one today.

Hiiragi: You... enjoyed?

Natori: Quite so. Probably more than most of the movies I play in when I watch them again later.

Natsume *wonders if he ever existed*

Madara: I want to speak with someone!

A voice inside Madara's drunken mind: There's nobody to speak to you at the moment…

Natsume: Sensei… you're probably just drunk… just go to the pillow and forget everything…

Madara *yawns* Was this booze also just a dream? *falls asleep*

Natsume: Yes, it's night, so go to sleep. Don't make your hangover worse~


	11. Chapter 11

_The voice of morning glories heralds all the coming of all coincidences._

He was glad Natsume had done it. Even with the trip to pagoda in mind, Matoba would not endure so many days without some kind of relief. In addition, he also was not sleeping with youkai. He hoped Natsume had been telling the truth.

Currently, it was early Monday morning – the third day since their last meeting.

When Matoba woke, his hand habitually moved to adjust his eye patch, knocked askew from a night's sleep. He pushed his still half-asleep body up from the bed not long after before hauling it to the window for some purpose unbeknownst to him.

His eyes absently caught on the morning glories timidly climbing up the nearest tree. Their opalescent sapphire-violet calyxes were opening themselves under the rays of the citrine sun, imperceptibly stirred by a subtle wind. The sun rays fell upon the flowers' white, almost shining, stigmas mixing the hues into a light caramel. It was then he felt a twinge, as though he had received some invisible message saying, 'Now is the time.'

His rational brain was telling him that Natsume should be at school rather soon. He wasn't sure if he would catch Natsume leaving, but he had the impression they wouldn't meet long from now, either way, despite what common sense may say.

If something was destined to happen, it would, no matter what stood in its way. At the very least, that was what Matoba believed, which was why he was not hurrying himself with preparations. Recalling that he had a formal meeting planned for the early afternoon hours that day, he slipped on a suit. Even if he were to be late there, at least this way he would appear respectable. He picked up his car key... He hoped he did not forget anything important.

Elsewhere, Touko was not hurrying with her preparations either, tough she, likewise, was about to leave in a moment. She had forgotten to wake Natsume up, and this fact had stuck her suddenly; she knew the boy would probably miss his first class. She quickly dashed up the stairs and firmly knocked on his door. Natsume would hear her voice coming from behind the door.

"Takashi-kun, get up quickly! It's half past seven!" It was twenty to eight, Natsume could easily tell by looking at the alarm clock with his half-open eyes. Though it was possible he had just seen the time displayed on the device wrongly because of the tawny sun rays piercing through the eyes he was forcefully prying open.

"Ah...!" Natsume screamed at his predicament, shielding his eyes from the shifting sunrays. He shoved against the mattress and dragged himself over to open the door. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes before directing them to Touko's uncommonly elegant look.

"We'll be back late in the evening," the woman said in a measured hurry. "Please eat your dinner. I've left it in the fridge."

"Touko-san...! ...Oh... Thank you... But," Natsume said as he directed his sight to the clock once again. "But the hour..."

"Yes! Please don't be late for your second class... I'm sorry, I had forgotten to wake you earlier Takashi-kun. We were in a hurry..."

"No, no I... I have to apologize for that... I must have turned off the alarm while still asleep..." He had a vague recollection of doing so, but, either way, he bowed his head to Touko in a gesture of repentance.

"You'll go to the second one, right?" The woman's eyes closed themselves under the pressure of her warm smile.

Natsume reciprocated Touko's beneficent feelings, his smile a reflection of the one she was emanating. He nodded warmly. The door slid closed, shutting her silhouette from view. He canned the room, but he could not see the cat.

"Nyanko-sensei!" Natsume called out once he knew his family had left. He reopened his door to call into the hallway. "Nyanko-sensei!" It did not look like he would be getting any reply, but he still checked the stairs. "Nyanko-sensei? You're not there, are you?" What kind of question would it be if Madara were to really answer, Natsume pondered, but he quickly gave up on analyzing it. It looked like he was still too drowsy.

He was a few steps up the stairs, when he was drawn down again, by the ring of the phone. He went to pick up the phone.

"Hello...?"

"Natsume?" It was Tanuma. The mere fact it was him calling caused Natsume's breath to hitch. He hoped that noting bad had happened.

"Tanuma... Is everything okay?"

"Natsume! Ah, yes... everything's all right," Tanuma's voice sounded nothing more than cheerful, which took out all of Natsume's tension. It was a load off his mind. "We don't have school today." The man spoke matter-of-factly. His tone had been shadowed by haste, but it quickly brightened with relief. "Oh, it's good I've called on time. I was been worried you'd already left."

"I... Ah, sorry, I overslept a little..." Natsume said as he sighed, likely depressed with his own attitude. His friend's chuckles reached his ears over the phone.

"Haha... You're lucky, Natsume..." Tanuma laughed emphatically as he started to explain. He didn't want his friend to worry himself like he knew Natsume was opt to do. "The teachers have a conference today. They'd told us on Friday... but I didn't seen you at school, so I decided to call." Tanuma explained before he asked, though rather rhetorically. "It looks like you didn't know about it, though? You're really lucky I didn't miss you."

"By a hair's breadth... " Natsume replied as bemused as he was relieved once his mind had started processing the message. The news cheered him up immensely. He spoke with a sincere gratitude, "Thank you! ...Huh... I was just about to leave, too...! I was planning on attending the second class..." Natsume sighed with relief, though he was well-aware that he might not keep his word.

"Haha... Have a nice day, Natsume! Don't oversleep for class tomorrow!" Tanuma brought the conversation to an end, also sighing, satisfied with the fact that his own task had been carried out successfully.

"Thank you again! Oh, well... I think I'll return to bed for a while..." Natsume answered rather lively, but he yawned once he hung up the phone.

He went to the fridge to grab something to drink before returning to his room. It felt a bit uncanny that Madara was not home, but he did not have any unease about it. He was actually somewhat relieved.

He went to his bed where he felt the most comfortable staying alone. He loved his family and he had good feelings for his sensei, but it was not changing the fact that their presence often blocked and censored most of the thoughts that had been pouring into his mind since Friday. Now he could finally open the floodgate and let them pass through so they could gleefully fill his mind. Any potential remains of urgency left his body before long, letting him quickly fall back into the world of dreams.

Matoba stopped his car, leaving it behind and entering Natsume's house. He saw that the window to Natsume's room had been opened, which was rather a good sign, but he still went to the door to knock. He knocked a few times, but there was no response. Well... he could always simply push on the handle. There was nothing stopping him, and so he did just that. The door opened. Well now, that was rather simple, but was there nobody at home? Matoba could not even sense the cat, so perhaps there was nobody at the house for real? He left his shoes at the vestibule as he walked up the stairs without preamble.

He raised his hand and knocked the door to Natsume's room a few times.

"Ugh... Please, come...in..." Natsume said automatically before he had fully awakened. His mind was already restarting itself, but he did not have his wits about him yet. His memories were just starting to reappear.

Regardless, the door was being opened just as he had finished sitting himself up beneath his quilt.

His dazed stare stopped at the slim pale hand on the doorframe, automatically frightening him with the possible visit of a youkai. He was only barely comforted by the fact that the visiting youkai actually knew the custom of knocking.

Well... it was not exactly a youkai... Natsume felt himself grow dizzy.

"Ah..." In another moment, he remembered all the information passed on him since the day had begun. Touko and Shigeru would be absent until the evening. Madara was out. He had no school today… Was it even possible? Perhaps he was still dreaming.

"I had a feeling we'd meet today." Matoba said as his eye half-closed itself into a sneaky, warm smile.

_"Ma…toba-san..."_ Natsume was stunned as his golden eyes following the spoken man's movements as his body found its way next to him, settling itself on the edge of his sofa. "Ah... Let me wash up first...!" Natsume's voice rose, as quickly he got absorbed in the current flow of events. _"What an unreal chain of coincidences... I wonder where I'm being leaded to..."_ He mused for a moment, but he quickly got up from the bed hurriedly. "I... well... I just woke up..."

He stepped towards the wardrobe to dig out some clothes while simultaneously digging imperceptibly into the cloths for the Book of Friends, which luckily happened to be resting hidden there.

He rushed into the shower, wherein he endlessly lost himself in thoughts about Matoba being here with him, and the moment the thought flickered in his brain it almost jolted him out of the shower with shock.

He dried his hair with a towel before pulling on a random T-shirt and pants on, swiftly hiding the Book of Friends under a bathtub. He hoped it would be safe there. He had a mental image of what a youkai that lived under bath-tubes might look like should any such youkai exist. He shook his head a few times as though to throw out the possible bad scenarios. There was no way the book wouldn't be safe here.

"Natsume?" Matoba spoke in a questioning tone once the blond had returned to the room and sat next to him, "Is it safe?" He was talking about the situation. Natsume knew that was what he meant, but even so, it felt like he was asking directly about the Book of Friends.

The book would be safe either way, but he was less sure about the safety of their rendezvous. He never knew when Madara would reappear and his private meeting with Matoba would no longer be private. He had wondered where the cat had disappeared to so early, but now it was a convenient turn of events. He temporarily put the thought aside as he quickly answered.

"Partially..." He answered as he looked out the corners of his eyes before returning them again to the unexpected guest, "...My family will be out for a long time...but I don't know where Sensei is."

"Oh… I see..." Matoba looked at Natsume with a charming smile of doubtful compassion. "Let's hope he won't interfere," he recommended as he put his hand over Natsume's tense body.

Natsume felt his blood circulating faster and faster with every next sensation of Matoba's palm. Paradoxically he felt his blood circulating the fastest in the parts of his body that had yet to be touched.

Although Natsume had the unsettling feeling that he knew nothing about Matoba, something inside was telling him he rather knew him well enough. Indeed, there was definitely something missing about his current acquaintanceship with the leader of Matoba clan - his former enemy. Was he but still dreaming?

Matoba slid his hand underneath Natsume's T-shirt to touch him more directly. Even though he was not touching him there yet, he was growing harder as though he were doing so. The reaction inebriated him with viscous excitement.

Matoba rubbed his face against Natsume's, mentally jolting Natsume while simultaneously reminding him about the cat. Natsume set the association aside for now, though he wondered if Matoba had not done it on purpose, perhaps to remind him of the nonsense with Madara in their previous meeting.

Natsume's mind was playing with him, but its owner was getting engaged in another sort of play, so he simply turned it off.

Their lips brushed across each other, instantly drawing a quiet gasp out of him. The gasp was followed by a louder whine as Matoba's tongue lashed at his lips and traced its way into his mouth. The older man's hands were examining him, as though to ensure that his body was real. Did Matoba have any doubts? Natsume could only guess, since his actions were turning him on as hell. He broke the kiss to catch the lacking air.

"Hah..." Natsume caught the air as he continued, at once submerging his hand into the other's black sleek hair, making sure not to undo the tie. "Nh... haa…" He panted through the languid kiss, eventually breaking it with a thin string of saliva bridging their lips. "Matoba-san..." His hand slid under the collar of Matoba's jacket, lowering it considerably. "This thing... can I?"

_"Sure,"_ Matoba answered in his thoughts even as he felt Natsume's hands slide the cloth off his arms, though with wary hesitation. _"Not having to deal with the extra layer myself makes it all the better.__**"**_

It was indeed nice for Matoba, but for Natsume it was rather embarrassing. How it even came to this, that he would end up undressing Matoba, he had no idea. Either way, now that he was doing it, it was too late to cancel the ongoing process. Stopping now would be impolite, especially because he had just kneeled on the tatami floor to take off the other's trousers.

In spite of everything, he more than enjoyed Matoba's startled expression. The whole situation was odd enough to make him feel overly tensed; he was not often alone at home, especially just after he had woken up.

Matoba was thoroughly mesmerized by the thought, image and feeling of Natsume unfastening his pants, and the latter's face was definitely far too close to his erection for Matoba to do not bring it even closer. His hands buried themselves in Natsume's hair, reflexively messing with the strands. The intention flowing through their movements quickly caused Natsume's face to be pressed up against his member, squeezing it in between their bodies.

Natsume gasped but he adjusted their position to tickle the hardened flesh with his lips through the fabric. He licked it a few times as he took the tip to his mouth for more contact.

Matoba panted from the sensation but still found the presence of mind to catch and pull on Natsume's forearm, bringing the boy's face close to his. "Mm… this is rather entertaining... Natsume-kun." He lifted Natsume's arms to hang them over his own shoulders as he looked at Natsume leeringly. "I think I should help you..."

Matoba helped him just barely to take off their remaining clothes. This teamwork resulted in both of them undressed to their shirts and boxers. It was rather anticipated that Natsume would leave something on aside from their underwear (which Matoba figured was a given for Natsume, anyways), but Matoba could not care less; his own shirt was comfortably unbuttoned, including its sleeves. He shrugged it off himself and set aside the loosened necktie before he leaned towards Natsume.

Matoba's body loomed over Natsume's, supported on his elbows as his hands fell smoothly around the blond's face.

"Ahh... Ahh…" Natsume's eyes closed as he cuddled Matoba's body up to his from below. With their hips pressed together, Matoba chafed his hardness against the other's through their underclothes, carefully at first, and just as roughly soon after.

"Nnn-h… ah…" Natsume panted, awash with touches strong enough to bring him to an early finish. "Hah… ah… ahhh... hah... Matoba-san..." His widened pupils rose to Matoba's face, quickly losing himself in the other's eye and eye patch.

The exorcist continued smothering Natsume's body but looked deep into Natsume's eyes, which reflected both Natsume's hope and the boy's realization of his own powerlessness.

"Ah... Please... don't… ah… Not so much..." Natsume knew he had no say against his own body now, so he could only leave himself to Matoba (though he knew this was not the right person by any means, but he had no choice).

"Ah..." This 'ah' was dyed with an indefinable emotion. They were doing this anyways, so what was the problem with a little more? It was not like Natsume could get pregnant or something... But still, Matoba wanted Natsume to relax, so he replied, "We'll see how it goes."

This was not a situation he could just relax in, but Natsume had to deal with it as it was. He anchored his hand in Matoba's hair and took a short breath, practically inhaling it from the other man.

Matoba titled his head as his moist tongue flattened itself against the curves of Natsume's lips and proceeded to lick them.

Matoba really does have something in common with his sensei, Natsume thought, but the thought promptly flew out of his mind the moment his own tongue joined the other's. But damn, that Nyanko-sensei. He was always following hard at his heels. Natsume really hoped he wouldn't come back too soon!

Matoba temporarily lifted himself to let his body's weight rest on his knees and elbow, his hand still resting under the other's head. Under the quilt, he slid off Natsume's boxers**.** He trailed his hand from belly to groin, where he took hold of the other's stiffness and began running his fingers down it urgently. Natsume willingly surrendered himself to the stroking, and before long Matoba's hand was damp and gummy. Both their breaths began heaving in time. In fact, Matoba felt as though he were touching himself, lost as he was in Natsume's eagerness. And still, Natsume's sounds were demanding, like he was begging for more despite his previous dubious request to stop.

Matoba adjusted their positions once he had removed his hand from beneath Natsume's head and placed them within range of the boy's lips.

Kiss broken, he stared at Natsume knowingly.

Not that Natsume couldn't imagine what was going to happen. He still had enough self-control to stop himself before he gave his immediate assent. There was no way he was feeling ready for such advanced play yet... Hadn't he asked him not to do too much? Had he only asked the question in his imagination?

"Ahh..." He clenched his eyes under Matoba's hand as it alternated speeds – fast, slow, fast, slow - but he managed to utter, "Ahh... aaah... ahh..." The moans escaping his mouth as he tried to speak was really arousing Matoba. "Ahhh... ahh... Ma-toba...-san, hah… please..." His eyes, barely cracked open, spied up at the man whose name he'd just voiced hopefully.

Matoba doubted that what Natsume was begging for was what he truly wanted, but it coincided exactly with what he was hoping would happen, and so he decided to make the boy's uttered wish come true. He sighed with a shade of discontent, but eventually he stated, "I won't do too much."

"Ahhh... ah..." Natsume couldn't stop panting, not when he was being taken care of so skillfully. Not when his body was asking for more.

"Now... lick my fingers," he commanded as he brought the appendages in question closer to Natsume's lips. "At the very least, it will prepare you..."

"For... what?"

"...For the next time..."

He did not exactly feel fine with this, but he was too forgone to argue. He touched Matoba's hand with his own as he allowed the other man to slide it into his mouth.

Matoba slid the lubricated hand, lavishly doused in saliva, out of Natsume's mouth and slithered under the falling quilt. His other hand, which had been working on the blond's erection almost without break, was hopefully bleeding away some of the tension from younger boy when two folded fingers gradually sank into his entrance. With Natsume writhing with building excitement, Matoba continued focusing on his strokes. Before long, he put his other hand in motion, this time with his head bent forward to lash the tip of Natsume's head with his tongue.

"Ngh-n... nnn... nnh… ahhh... nhah…" Natsume's breath hitched, reflecting the instant he felt two fingers grow to three inside him, but Matoba's mouth felt so extremely good now sucking at him. He knew it wouldn't be long now. "Nnnh... aah... ngh... ahh... aahh..." He sank his hand into Matoba's hair, which he had been pulling unwittingly. Initially, his other hand had risen to seize the hand burying into his body, but eventually he gave up on the motion as futile.

"Mat-... Aaahh... ahhh..." As soon as he found himself on the verge, he found that the hand's movements were stimulating him, but Matoba's tongue was already tipping the scales as it firmly slid up and down the slit on his head, covering it with by a wet, sucking warmth. "Nn... aahh... ah... hah... If you don't stop... I, ah... nghh... aah... ahhhhhh... ahh... hah..."

_"Wasn't it a bit too late for this warning?"_ "Natsume..." Matoba removed his soaked hands from Natsume's groin as he licked off the thread of seed from the corner of his lips before Natsume's limp hands brought him close to the other's face for a salty kiss.

The ecstatic spasms danced through Natsume's body like electric currents, fueling him to take the initiative, bringing passion to his kiss with Matoba.

"_Nevertheless... it was fortunate no one else was around,"_ Natsume thought as he recalled his latest groans, after his wits were back about him.

Natsume's entire existence knocked Matoba off his feet – not just right that moment, but in general. He had already decided to shift around his schedule to make time for this boy. His sight passed by the alarm clock resting beside Natsume's bed, reminding him about the formal visit which he would surely be late for if he didn't leave soon. Although he had been considering being tardy himself, it was Natsume's request about "not doing too much" that pushed him down this particular path.

"I would honestly continue this but, I must leave now," He stated rather firmly as his deep, steady gaze fell over Natsume's fetching eyes.

"Ah? So soon?" Natsume was not yet ready to face his impending departure, it seemed.

_"Soon...? Haven't you had enough?"_ Matoba's smile crept into a grin just as sneering as it was amused. He replied, "Natsume-kun... you won't be safe as long as I'm here."

That was true, Natsume agreed inwardly, but on the other hand, he knew he didn't want Matoba to get up and start picking up their clothes from the floor yet, which the other man was already doing.

The boy was a bit frightened of the results of his current actions, especially since he did not know what was actually going to happen, but regardless he put on his own underwear and stepped up to the exorcist, who was standing near the door of his room.

Having overcome the mounting tension he placed his hands on Matoba's chest and successfully managed to press the latter's back against the door. He raised his left hand to the taller man's face in a gesture Matoba was beginning to recognize as his right settled on the other's hip.

Natsume's face was an inch from Matoba's, and soon crossed over that small gap. He could not believe he was doing this. Had he just unearthed something new about himself by learning something about another person – more precisely, Matoba? Either way, since he had already gone so far, he may as well take the next step.

During the heated kiss, he slid his hand over the exorcist's belly, inside the underwear, and along the thigh to eventually wrap it around the stiffened manhood. His fingers tenderly stroked the swollen object before they started to rub together, gliding over its head and foreskin.

"Ah..." Matoba had his arms wrapped around Natsume, but he could feel himself being crushed. It was true he could turn the tables whenever he wanted, but he could clearly feel his consciousness fading under the rapidly budding sensation.

Natsume's grip strengthened as to Matoba's joy as the former's lips traveled its way down his neck.

"Ahh..." Matoba breathed, but he put his hand on the back of Natsume's head, burying it into his messy hair. His body was supported against the door as he felt everything but the destination of all his blood grow limp and heavy.

Natsume was kissing his neck with unskilled flutters, awkward as Matoba was skilled. Matoba wondered if the boy was aware with what he was currently risking. At this rate, Natsume may get himself laid in seconds shot.

He grasped the hand put on his eye-patch but he was breathing heavily under the increasing pressure.

"Ah... mn… nhh… Natsume-kun… you know... but… hah… ah… I had a business meeting planned on this hour…" Natsume's hand was now resting on the paper cloth again as he sealed the exorcist's mouth with his. Business meeting? Planned for this hour? Remembering the chain of coincidences that had happened today and Matoba's obsession with getting him to become part of his clan, Natsume reasoned that Matoba was probably in the right place at the right time.

Meanwhile, the cat that had just returned really had no idea what they were doing. Sitting on a nearby tree branch, he was stretching his sight as far as he could, but all he could see was Natsume's back with Matoba's hands clenching on the boy's t-shirt, and that Natsume was doing something with his eye-patch. It looked like Natsume had the advantage here, though, while the exorcist looked like he was in pain.

Madara found it strange Natsume was capable of doing something harmful to anybody, even to his enemy, but maybe the boy was simply helping Matoba with something - possibly connected to youkai.

Actually, it was not about youkai, and it was not exactly like Matoba was in pain, Madara quite accurately guessed that Natsume was helping Matoba, with something.

Natsume removed his hand from the eye-protector to grab the trouser-leg of Matoba's underwear. He pulled on the bright fabric, soon making the cloth to fall along the exorcist's legs, over which the latter's feet stepped on their way to the sofa.

Had the power balance flipped? Madara pondered. He could not see too much, since the line of his sight was limited by the window-frame. A moment ago he had already seen Natsume doing something with Matoba's seal, and Matoba in pain, but now they have disappeared from his vision.

The cat flattened his ears along his head as he closed his eyes but staying awake. In case of need, if he heard Natsume's screams, he would be ready to make a move, though he had no intention of moving should he hear Matoba's instead. He hoped Natsume would make short work with this creepy guy. Until then, perhaps he will simply observe the birds flying in the nearby branches.

"Ahh… nhah… Natsume…" Matoba felt his back pressing firmly against the mattress. He tried to stay sitting but the sensation of Natsume's hand playing with him had caused him to fall against the fluffy bedding sooner than he would had liked. Natsume's pillow felt comfortable enough to make him imagine Natsume straddling him here and now, "…I've told you... I won't do too much...to you."

"You don't have to do anything to me."

It wasn't as though Matoba didn't know that, but perhaps it was possible for him to not shove Natsume, who was already prepared, down. Perhaps. He was currently having a hard time overcoming his desire to enter Natsume's body. He sighed with a shade of exasperation as he brought his hand to his unsealed eye to protect it from the shifting sunrays.

"Lower yourself closer."

Natsume had planned to, but now that he was being commanded, and helped by Matoba's hand, Natsume's head didn't have anywhere to go but down.

Natsume ignored this arrogance, but he stayed careful. He did not know Matoba as a person well enough, but as far as he knew, the latter was still respectful of certain boundaries that were restricting Matoba's basest instinct. He was amazed such a seal even existed. Well... He could not be sure yet if it really did exist, to be sure.

Nevertheless, Natsume lowered himself. He put his hand on Matoba's thigh as he slid his other hand along the other's length to lift it. He neared his lips to its tip which he tapped with his tongue before he enveloped it with his mouth. It was so hard and swollen; he hoped it would fit into his narrow mouth.

Natsume shook his hand knowingly as he drew his mouth over the engorged flesh. He sucked on it gently, and then more sturdily, instantly making Matoba shiver.

Matoba was trembling but it was not surprising for him since he had been on the threshold of climax almost the entire time since they had been standing by the door.

"Ah... ah...-" He barely noticed his bare feet rubbing against the crumpled sheets, which ensured him that his body was desperately begging him for more support. He moved this leg to let it rest on Natsume's bent shoulder.

"Nnnh..." Matoba could feel himself being controlled. He knew Natsume could feel under his touch how close he was, which only added fuel to the flame.

Natsume could feel this well enough. The taste in his mouth was growing more bitter and salty with every jolt of his hand and tongue. He quickened their paces on purpose, even as his other hand slid off Matoba's thigh and landed on his sacks and noticeably pressing on them. It was as if Natsume had pressed on the light switch; there was no way to stop the shimmering whiteness from dispersing itself over his mind and body.

_"Ah... ah… if... ah, if you combine everything... ah... then I... ah...-"_ Matoba was forgetting his thoughts as well as his entire existence, both abruptly drawn out from his body.

His hand clenched itself in Natsume's hair reflexively, but his disappearing mind advised him to loosen its grip. The hand eventually rested on the younger man's head almost bonelessly. Matoba would've rather enjoyed the feeling of Natsume's movements, completely independent of his own will, but he couldn't concentrate on the thought.

"Ahh… Na...tsume..." Matoba closed his eyes as he has fell deep into the sea of melting sensations. Somehow, Natsume had managed to work him in a way that had made him hanging over the brink unusually long. But this time, he felt, it was going to end, surely.

Natsume's hands were petting him so carefully, and his mouth was so hot and soft... "Nhh… hah… nnh…" Every movement of those hands was piercing him so intensely as Natsume's tongue caressed the taut thread from below, "Ahh... ahhh… ah… nnn… ah… yes, like this… ahh… Ah, don't stop! …don't change anything…! Nnnh… hah… ahh… ah… ahhh…"

Natsume tried his best to stay concentrated on sucking and licking Matoba off, but the latter's moans were very distracting.

In spite how irritating Matoba's demands were when it came to making Natsume join his clan, his demands, in this situation, were at least adorable.

Natsume didn't stop, nor had he changed anything, but his whole body and mind were resonating with the waves created by Matoba's moans. Without a shadow of a doubt, he had never heard anything as depraved as them, and he was hard as a rock now.

"Haah… hah…" The exorcist could not feel his body.

Natsume lifted himself up. He could not see Matoba's eye, protected from the blinding sun by the latter's trembling hand, but he brought his lips to the other's, soon finding himself drowned in a kiss.

Damn the whole situation, Matoba thought once he was already climbing into his car with his clothes in visible disarray. He would be two hours late for the business meeting. However, the tryst had been so extremely assuaging... There was not too much he could have done. Despite not having gone all the way, he was happy enough with the way the events unrolled.

The cat was quite shocked. The head of Matoba clan looked really abused now as he started the engine of his car, and Madara could swear he had heard his cries a few minutes ago. Was Natsume that cruel? Maybe there was something about his disciple even he - his sensei, himself did not know? He had better stay at the tree for the next half an hour or so, in case, he decided. He did not want to stumble across Natsume's nasty mood, _"What if I end like this kid?"_

Matoba regretted nothing. All the surroundings he was driving by looked like it was waving. He did not feel like his body was real. He was trying to erase the thought that he was feeling like an ayakashi, his feet not planted firmly on the ground.

Natsume hurriedly started to take care of his own surroundings. The party was over, and he was lucky enough to enjoy it until the very end, but now he was cramming the bedclothes into the washing machine, before anybody could lay eyes on them. He will tell Touko he was just doing laundry to make good use of a day free of class.

_"Haha… You're lucky, Natsume…"_ Tanuma's message from few hours ago now echoed through his mind. It was quite accurate, the blond thought. But he forgot to give back Matoba his zori; not like it had much meaning now.

Not like it mattered much now...

* * *

><p>Natori *hit by a sailing stone*<p>

Hinoe: Natsume hurt somebody?

Chobihige: Impossible... Natsume-dono would never mean any harm, either to youkai nor people.

Sarumen: I agree! He's simply too powerful!

Hinoe: I can't see the connection...

Madara: What they were doing?

Kappa: He was helping him with something.

Madara: I wonder. It didn't look like Matoba was in good shape after that.

Hinoe: Maybe Natsume was angry? I wouldn't be surprised...

Madara: Me too... This creepy guy was driving him crazy with his existence alone... but this time it looked like something drastic happened.

Hinoe: Maybe he was helping him with something connected to his seal?

Kappa: Yes, Natsume-sama helps everybody.

Madara: Anyways, let's hope he has learned his lesson at last! Maybe he'll get a grip after that! It looked like he was seriously in pain this time.

Sarumen: I don't think he'll learn anything! Ever! That guy has no heart!

Kappa: I'm glad it wasn't me who had run into him...

Hinoe: And let's hope you never do. You'd be gone in an instant. *pours a bottle of water over Kappa's head*

Kappa: Ahh... Thank you. The sun was burning me.

Madara: Ohhhhh...! I want to know what they were doing already!

Kappa: Maybe we can go ask him?

Madara: I'm not sure if it's safe now. It's better to wait on it for a day or two...

Hinoe: Okay... I'll ask him the next time we meet...


	12. Chapter 12

Natsume raised his hand to touch the leaning branches before drawing them down a little as quiet as possible. The illuminated leaves curtained over most of his field of vision, but, with some effort, he could make out the small forest clearing past them. Natsume had been walking back from school when he heard strange noises coming from the area, so he decided to look for the source.

Yet, even as he strained his eyes as much as he could, all he could see was the glade's grassy floor and the opposite wall of trees. The noise had been there only a minute or so ago, but now it was completely serene.

He kept his eyes on the field, however, on guard and waiting for the suspicious noise to re-appear. Lo and behold, it was mere seconds before it sounded again. His careful eyes caught a small tuft of orange fur skittering good and quick through the green forest bed before suddenly disappearing behind the thick of trees.

So it was just a fox, Natsume sighed as he was ready to walk away, but before he managed to turn his sight back on the path, he felt a cool hand put on his shoulder, which instantly freaked him out.

He jumped with a cry, but at the very least, one worry was lifted from his shoulders or, at the very least, it didn't appear to be. "Hi…Hinoe...!" Natsume looked behind. The ayakashi was suddenly there, slinging one of her hands loosely over his shoulder. He felt the spirit's other hand tousling his hair playfully. He heaved a sigh, instantly creating a column of foggy smoke right in front of his face. "Huh… you scared me like hell..."

"Mwa...haahaha..." The ghost lazily shifted away from Natsume's Reiko successor as she masked her laughing mouth with a kimono sleeve. "Sorry about that, Natsume." The youkai apologized for intentionally scaring Natsume, but quickly she skipped to business. "I've been wondering how you were doing." Hinoe scrutinized Natsume closely up and down as she smiled ambiguously. Her expression reminded Natsume that what he understood of youkai only skimmed the surface. Lost in thought, he was surprised by the youkai in front of him petulantly smacking her forehead against his. "Hey boya~!" Hinoe chirped cheerfully as she caught Natsume's dull eyes again. "What did you do to Matoba?" Her inquiry caused Natsume's mind to whirl even more powerfully after her headbutt.

"Wh-What?" he replied vacantly and automatically as the question hit him like a bolt of lightning. Even his hair appeared somewhat frizzled now.

"Madara mentioned that his clothes were a mess as he was leaving," Hinoe smiled warm and black, "and we were wondering … why did you let the exorcist into your house?"

_"Crap! Sensei told me nothing about that!"_ The thought flashed through Natsume's mind as he hastily searched for words. "No, no... It's nothing like that..." He rushed as words flew automatically out of his mouth, not even passing through his brain as he just let them flow. He had no idea what he himself was going to say next. "Ah, he asked me for help… on restoring the temple's barrier, so… I agreed..." His pupils moved to the corners of his eyes before he redirected them towards Hinoe and catching sight of her visible surprise. "But don't worry about that…!" The boy shouted, putting as much confidence in his voice as possible. "I won't let anybody get hurt!" he assured her, his voice drenched with bravado.

"My, my... Natsume..." Hinoe exhaled a long stream of smoke as she pressed her palm against her eyes in a half-desperate exasperation, "You need to choose whom you help more carefully." Her eyes moved to welcome a small youkai-child with beige hair and the foxy ears.

"Oh! The small fox!" Natsume shifted his attention to the other youkai. His eyes rested on the child's cheerful smile, which never failed to remind him how important it was to him, to see all these friendly creatures living here peacefully. He did not want any of them to get hurt or involved in any exorcist's work, ever. He put his hand on the young ayakashi's head as he ruffled its chaotic hair, "I see you're all doing well..." He smiled warmly as he looked back to Hinoe. He moved his hand back before stepping back a few steps.

"Well… I'll be leaving for home now… Thank you for coming today!" He waved to the spirits as he said his farewell. "See you!" he called, about to leave, but Hinoe's voice stopped him in his tracks.

"Natsume, if you need any help, let us know," the ayakashi said thoughtfully. "Misuzu would be glad to accompany you should you need him," she reminded and recommended him.

"Thank you," Natsume said with gratitude as he nodded emphatically. "Nyanko-sensei will be with me, so you don't have to worry about anything." He started walking. He did not want to say too much and he knew he did not want to make the small fox-spirit scared.

Natsume found himself relieved, having left the youkai behind. Luckily, he had managed to extract himself from replying to Hinoe's question, but it was less relieving that the cat knew something. This Natsume did not know, and it had destroyed his would-be tranquility.

Natsume thought it was bad, but he tried to not fall into panic. Hinoe's information was incomplete, and he had wanted to question her in more detail about what she knew, but he chose not to. This way, it was more likely he'd avoid hearing an unwanted response. Nevertheless, he'd be seeing Madara in ten minutes or so, and then he'd have to deal with things as they are, in spite of the truth lying behind the events.

He stopped at a shrine along his way, praying with all his heart to all the gods he knew for Madara to let the situation be, as though his sensei didn't know any of the things Natsume was trying to hide from him. Perhaps on the off-chance, his prayers would be heard.

After he had reached his house and eaten dinner with his family, he realized he was too preoccupied to stay sitting at the dinner table with the Fujiwaras, so he left. He could not tell if talking to the cat right now would be a good idea or bad, but since both seemed to have equal pros and cons, he decided to leave the choice up to his curiosity.

He slid the door to his room closed. He left his bag on the shelf as he stepped over to Madara's pillow, where the lazy cat was just now heaving itself awake on its back. One of its porcelain eyes peeped open just slightly as its upside-down vision traveled up to see just who had woken him up and therefore wanted something from him.

"Hey, Nyanko-sensei," Natsume squatted down in front of the pillow as he poked the cat's round belly with a pointing finger, "I have a question or two…"

"What is it, Natsume?" The cat turned himself over lazily, his eyes now properly opened.

"Where were you yesterday morning?" Natsume asked as he peered curiously at Madara.

Despite the intent curiosity in Natsume's eyes, they held some kind of vague, unidentifiable hope, leaving Madara with the impression that he had seen that particular expression at some point in time during the last days. He could not recall exactly when, though. Having recognized the feeling of deja vu, Madara quickly became suspicious. His eyes slanted delightfully as he stared straight back at his disciple.

"Here. What did you think?" His words crashed over Natsume like a glass of cold water thrown at his face. Yet, paradoxically, instead of cooling it, he found himself heating up.

"R-Really?" _"No, that can't not be true..." _

"Where did you think I was?" The cat repeated his question as he looked at Natsume keenly. "It's actually me who should be asking you that question. What were you doing?"

_"Crap! I don't know what to say!"_ Natsume neither knew what to say nor how to hide his nervousness. "I... I was just sitting with-"

"I know..." Madara broke through Natume's spontaneous words, graciously throwing his disciple a life saver. Too bad the life-saving device was most likely made of stone though. "Were you fighting?"

"Not exactly," Natsume replied as calmly as he could, trying his best to keep his composure. He shifted his gaze somewhere to the side before he turned his back to Madara. He moved to the wardrobe to change out of his school uniform for more comfortable clothes.

With his eyes temporary free from of his sensei's stare, Natsume felt a bit safer, which also made the communication that much easier. "Ah, but it's all right… The Book of Friends is safe."

"I know it's safe, you moron," the cat commented as though he were preparing for a long-winded lecture as Natsume changed and sat down on the futon. " But why were you with him? I heard his cries even out through the window!"

Madara's question hid another matter that Natsume intuitively brought into the discussion. "And me? You didn't hear me?" the boy asked with mixed emotions, the tense anticipation emerging showing in his voice.

_"Crap! I didn't pay attention!"_ The thought struck Madara and he remained speechless for a while.

"I… hmm…went on the walk that morning..." The cat pressed his ears back along his head, "…and once I returned I heard his screams. Have you managed to somehow show him where his place is?"

"I... hm…" Natsume stammered out, "...I think so..." He sincerely hoped the discussion would end right there, or at least, that it wouldn't continue along this train of thought.

"Good. Though to be honest, I have no idea how such a weakling, like you," its fleshy paw gestured in Natsume's direction, "could have protected himself against the leader of Matoba clan, the exorcist."

It wasn't like Natsume had been protecting himself from Matoba. OK, perhaps there was a tiny trace of that happening, but now he could answer more positively, "Somehow... A-anyway, I did." It crossed his mind that it was already Tuesday, and he felt the next days will pass like a few short seconds. On one hand he wanted to see Matoba, but on the other, he felt like he wasn't prepared for it for some reason, or perhaps it was just at this particular moment.

"I hope nothing happens to him on his way back..." he muttered quietly, though he was still irritated with Matoba's persistence about him joining the other's clan.

He was confused with how he had grown so attached to Matoba out of the blue recently. It was really very confusing, especially with such extreme undercurrents like the pressure for him to join the Matoba clan haunting his mind. His mood dropped when he realized that the man was already occupying all his thoughts now.

"Somehow it'll work out," Madara comforted him. "I'll be guarding you all the time."

"Yes..." Natsume nodded hesitantly.

He knew he would have to make Nyanko-sensei drunk next time.

No problems with that, right?

-v-

"My, my... what happened here?" Matoba muttered as he entered one of his manors. He glanced up at the hole in the wooden roof, though he stepped back just in case, as the planks appeared to be hanging by a thread from the ceiling.

"We're very sorry, Master," one of the three exorcists currently standing in a line before him started apologizing. The man bowed his head in humility in time with his two coworkers. "There were incidents with shiki falling through the roof the past few days, but we haven't managed to fix it yet..." The man's voice changed its hue somewhere halfway through the sentence. "We're really, really sorry!"

"We deeply apologize, Matoba-sama," the other man spoke, though he remained bowing. "It will be fixed as soon as possible."

"Shiki?" Matoba's eye blinked, slightly confused.

"Yes, we don't know what they were doing, but they have been venture up onto the roof. Lately, they have been falling down here through this hole," the other explained as he moved to point at the opening in question before returning to his companions' neutral poses. "Sometimes things like this happen, so you don't need to bother yourself with this." Not like Matoba would bother himself excessively over it, but he nevertheless mused over the issue.

"Has anybody been hurt by ayakashi?"

"No, Master." The reply was instantaneous. "Since the last gathering, we haven't had even a single problem with youkai. They simply fell through here from the roof."

Matoba had no idea how he could even begin to comment on this particular event. For now he tried to make some sense of it. In the end, though, he could only give up and just accept it.

"I see... That's rather interesting. I can't see any reason why it should happen, though. I haven't ordered them to climb up the roof..."

"Maybe they felt like doing so?" one of the exorcists brought up the point.

"They 'felt like?'" Matoba brought his hand to his face as he sneered. The image of shiki capable of developing teamwork, seemingly independently of his orders, flitted across the back of his mind, though he did not pay any attention to it. "Ha… hah… Ayakashi are very strange…" He thankfully sounded more amused than worried though, causing the gathered subordinates to sigh a breath of relief.

"Y-yes..." One of them nodded, "Any-Anyway, we apologize for that. It'll be fixed soon."

"You may return to your prior activities," Matoba stated emotionlessly. He hardly cared about the matter. In fact, he was only going to be at this place for a moment. He had left some reports the other day, and he had only come to pick them up. He made his way to the room and collected some items, but for now he left them on a bed. He stepped to his desk to take a look at the latest reports.

Matoba had already decided he wouldn't visit Natsume until Friday, but now he felt like he had too much free time. He'd even resorted to setting off on this unnecessary quest. The image of Natsume rather than the desk and papers was in his mind, but he knew he could not and should not be that impatient. Suddenly the light knocking at his door woke him from his daydreaming.

"Yes?"

"Would you mind if I come in?" It was Nanase.

Matoba didn't really care one way or another. He'd been planning on passing these reports to her anyways. This way, he'd at least he have one less thing on his mind.

"Come in."

Nanase opened the door, but she stayed at the threshold. From where Matoba was sitting, her glasses had rendered her expression impenetrable for an instant.

"What are you doing?" the woman asked rhetorically as she took in the clan leader's current occupation. "I always do these reports. You should leave them to me."

Matoba knew that he should say, but he did not feel like prolonging the talk, so he simply stated, "I'm leaving for the weekend."

"Is it connected to Reiko's…?" Nanase mused as she smirked unnoticeably, but she dared to ask. "Perhaps you've managed to drag the boy into that haunted pagoda?"

"Hopefully... Nanase," Matoba sighed likely-irritated. "Keep reminding me that I should wait until Friday. I may forget." He directed his eyes to the window.

"You know," Nanase spoke, slightly amused, "it's all about karma. If something has to happen, it will. We can change some things, but only by a little bit. We can't change anything in the grand scheme of things. Even the exorcists abide by this law..."

Matoba only caught the last few words of her speech, but even those slipped from his mind rather quickly. He simply didn't bother paying attention, or perhaps he couldn't bring himself to focus. He started listening once he realized there was a silence in the room, at which point he stood from his desk.

He picked up the items on the bed as he walked to the entrance to the room, passing the unfinished reports into Nanase's hands. "Take care of these."

"Good luck," Nanase replied with a nod, though she sighed inwardly.

"_I doubt the boy would willingly become the part of the clan, but perhaps it's not impossible..." _she thought as she started to check over the reports the clan head had left behind.


	13. Chapter 13

"Friday," Natsume read aloud as he tore out Thursday's page from the calendar. It looked like the rather muggy sky was already starting to open to a sunny morning. Natsume felt the warm air pushing through the opened windows. It looked like Touko and Shigeru were out. He found the bento, which Touko must have prepared and left for him when she had stayed home yet again. Seeing it cheered him up immensely since there was no time to eat a proper breakfast. He put his clothes on in a hurry and left the house, at an almost-run.

_"Damn... I don't want to worry Touko! Sensei, you could've woken me up at least half an hour sooner!"_ Natsume mentally screamed as though he could somehow pass this message on to some alternate reality where he was still asleep.

He relaxed a little once he reached the sheltering forest, slowing himself to a jog. The temperature was really high and it was still in the early morning hours. He hoped there would be no storm in the evening and that the clear skies would keep at least until tomorrow.

He glanced at the surrounding forest. The leaves were somehow extraordinarily green, almost conspicuously so. The sound of cicada reached his ears. Natsume liked their characteristic chirping. He could hear the single insect present somewhere nearby, but he was surprised that it was around in the first place; he thought their calls indicated the beginning of the dry season, and yet the air was unusually humid at the moment. He wondered if maybe sultriness of the air was only an imagined impression crafted from his mind. Perhaps he should trust the signs of the seasons more than what his senses were telling him? He mused to himself as the chirping sound disappeared behind him.

He reached and crossed the open space he came to in a hurry. Because of this, he managed to happily make it to school in tandem with another students.

He could not comprehend how fast the time was passing by today. It was already the forth class, halfway through his schedule for the day. They had canceled school on Monday, so now he had to stay two hours longer today to make up for the time; he did not know about it when he had been leaving his house.

Natsume was lucky to sit at the rear of classroom, where he sat at his desk, supporting his head on an elbow. The rays from the traveling sun strengthened into powerful beams through the window, permeating and spreading through the room's interior. Its warm wave fell over Natsume like a curtain, putting him half to sleep.

He must have passed at least one or two classes in this sleep-like state. Once, he thought he heard Kitamoto whispering that there were only two more classes left. When break came, he went to meet Tanuma in the school corridor. He waved hello to the other man, causing the latter to step closer for a short talk.

"Hey, Tanuma!" Natsume smiled warmly.

"Natsume...! How are you? How are you doing?" Tanuma asked rather surprised. "I haven't seen you for a while. Were you at school yesterday?" He peered at Natsume, who felt a guilty pang at Tanuma's anxious expression.

Natsume nodded, still smiling. "Yeah ... I'm all right," he replied simply even though he knew his friend probably would be able to see through him well enough to find out that something wasn't exactly 'right'. "I was here yesterday. We must have passed by each other..." He explained before adding, since he thought it would be polite to inform Tanuma about his forthcoming absence. "I'm leaving for the weekend."

"Oh, I see..." Tanuma abandoned his previous concern, dropping it for another. "Is it a youkai again?" He asked, but he added, before Natsume could start his usual speech, "Please, be careful, Natsume! I guess... probably my help would only make it worse for you here, but if you need it, please let me know..." Tanuma's tone expressed both his overpowering sense of helplessness and loyalty.

"No, no... that's not... It's not like that!" Natsume's voice rose automatically as realization of his friend's undervaluation shot through him. "You know... I don't want to involve you or anybody. You're too important to me...!" Natsume practically pleaded with a keen, sincere look. He hoped the other would understand.

"Ah no, I didn't want to worry you, Natsume!" Seemingly, he understood. Tanuma's hands caught Natsume's shoulders and shook the boy lightly, as though trying to shake him back to reality. "I understand the situation, so, please, don't worry about me." The brunette let go of Natsume as he smiled knowingly. "I just worried if you were going to be safe."

"Thank you," Natsume smiled. He added, as he saw the other man about to leave for class, "I'll have Nyanko-sensei with me. See you on Monday, probably."

"See you." _'Probably?'_ Tanuma waved to Natsume. His inner serenity reeled back a little, but he still waved as he turned around and disappeared among the students swarming through the corridor. Natsume saw his teacher already heading into the classroom, so he decided to step inside sooner rather than later.

He returned to his desk hoping that he hadn't attracted the teacher's attention a moment ago. He had even prepared for this class, though he had not studied enough to be able to perfectly answer all of the possible questions. Additionally, Matoba's words were echoing through his mind like the callings of youkai, summoning a heat that crept up and through his body. He almost completely lost what was happening in the lesson as he allowed himself to sink into the avalanche of distracting images. He never would have thought that he could have such a crush on Matoba.

He was not used to imagining people in these kinds of situations generally. Despite all this, he could still see the part of himself that detested Matoba as all the other man's clan for the way they treated ayakashi and for all sorts of other possible things, but that wasn't changing the undeniable fact. He hoped the leader of Matoba clan would take good, thorough care of him, and as soon as possible. He felt that he might not be able to keep this up for too long.

Natsume sighed once the teacher commissioned their homework, thus signalizing the end of lesson. There was only one more to sit through before he would be free for almost three whole days.

The last class passed like the morning mist. He could only remember the fact that he had been sitting there and was aware when it had been over. He was glad the teachers today were relaxed for whatever reason, possibly because of the weather, or alternatively, perhaps because the schedule had been changed to make up for the previously lost day. The main thing was that he was out.

It was currently the heart of the daytime. Natsume passed through the refreshingly breathing forest, enjoying the scents of trees and greenery, which were currently at the height of their blossoming season.

He sighed with relief when he finally reached his house. He took off his shoes as he stepped to the kitchen. He looked at the clock. It was almost three past noon. Two hours from now he will probably be packed into Matoba's car and en route to some unknown place. He actually wanted to go with the other. He could not believe that he had fallen so far.

He noticed that his family hadn't returned yet, but he found a small note Touko had left for him, probably in the morning. It looked like he must have passed her note earlier. On it, it said that they would be back late in the evening, which automatically made Natsume consider inviting Matoba to his house, even though they would be meeting up later anyways. Natsume knew that he had to give up on this idea, though. There was nothing he could do about Madara at the time. The cat was resting peacefully before the long journey, and Natsume did not want to wake him up. He did hope, though, that the cat would just fall asleep and stay that way for their upcoming trip.

Nevertheless, Natsume did not have much time to waste. He ate the dinner Touko had left for him and headed directly to the shower. He really needed it; it was so hot today, and he was also somewhat tense. He adjusted the water's temperature a bit colder, assuming it might be his last chance to feel himself even mildly cool. His mind was worrying him, though Natsume felt it was futile as he tousled his wet, sandy hair with a warm, snow-white towel. He reached for a robe, which was resting nearby, and tied the belt up before heading to his room for clothes.

He felt a little uneasy about wearing the shiki costume, though it was his choice to do so. He hoped in his heart that he wouldn't run into Fujiwaras on his way out. Even though Matoba had told Touko about their disguises as spirits, Natsume still had a hard time to accepting that Touko just took the news like daily bread.

Either way, Natsume took the cloths to the bathroom and put them on. The robe was fresh and plain yet comfortable, especially in comparison to the school uniform he had just changed out of. He looked to the mirror to adjust the paper seal and horns to their proper position. He left the seal partially on for now to have at least one of his eyes free, just in case. He could always cover both of his eyes once they reached the temple.

Natsume lost himself in his preparations. He was almost ready. It was ten till five. He checked if there was anything left to bring with him or to do before leaving. His sight rested incidentally on the phial of fragrant liquid, a present from Taki on his latest birthday. He had never used it until now, but this time he felt like giving it a try. The smell was pleasant, though a bit overpowering for him. It was made of some kind of herb that could supposedly mesmerize spirits.

There was a single sharp spike of irritation that passed through his mind when he realized what his thoughts and actions had been lately, but he decided to ignore the pang. It was already too late to think about what had already been done.

After all, it wasn't him who had asked for Matoba's help, but undisputedly Matoba who had asked for his. Despite this, Natsume could not get rid of the memory of himself begging to spend all this weekend with Matoba in exchange for saving the Book of Friends a week ago, though it was strange that he didn't feel regret for these actions.

Natsume felt excited, though he did not know what he would do with his sensei. This kind of exhilaration was rather infrequent in his life, and he was not sure how to even function under it, what with the whole situation in which the emotion appears.

He wondered if he still had his mind back in the right place now, though he doubted it.

"Natsume!" The cat's muffled voice called Nasume back to reality.

"What's up, sensei!?" He called out from another room, soon hearing the loud clatters coming his way.

Madara ran into the room, where the sight of Natsume's clothes nearly made him take a step back. He knew the boy had been told to wear them, but he had completely forgotten about it and was not expecting his disciple to follow the rules established by Matoba so easily.

The cat had an impression that Natsume looked strange somehow, but he could not identify exactly why. His ears twitched as he realized why he had come here - to speak to Natsume - but had then gotten lost in his thoughts somewhere along the way.

"Time to go," The cat informed rather decisively, but he felt himself mentally bemused.

"Yes?" Natsume asked a little surprised. It was a bit sudden, but he knew Matoba had crossed the deadline already, about half an hour ago.

He ran down the stairs to open the door just at the moment Matoba's hand was about to knock. He was glad that he had not crashed into the exorcist or gotten a knock on the head himself; he realized his mind felt blank, yet at the same time amazingly under control, at least for now.

"Natsume-kun..."

"Welcome..." Natsume opened the door ajar. The sight of the light of the sun coming from the kitchen windows combined with the lights of electricity left Matoba with an impression like he was seeing a ghost. This was an affront to Matoba, especially according to his philosophy, but he shared his acknowledgment with Natusme.

"You've tried your best to look like an authentic shiki, I see." For Natsume, it sounded neither like an insult nor a compliment, but he was thinking the same thing about the other man, especially seeing him in this black kimono in contrast with these white elements around him. There was not too much Natsume had to say, so he chose to skip to business.

"Please wait a moment. I'll take my belongings and we may go."

Natsume had done as he had said almost immediately. Quickly, he got into the car, keeping in his hands around Nyanko-sensei.

_"The kitty,."_ Matoba's sight traveled to the youkai who was settling himself comfortably in Natsume's lap, preparing himself for the long journey. Natsume stroked his porcelain fur so tenderly that it distracted Matoba who now had to stay concentrated on the road. He hoped his attention wouldn't wander too much. He sighed, resigned, as he turned back to the wheel.

_"Ah, I shouldn't distract him!"_ Natsume thought as his hand stopped its previous occupation to instead rest motionlessly, joining his second hand around the cat's curled body. _"You're heavy, sensei!"_ The boy noticed, not for the first time in his life; however, he decided to cut off this chain of thought, hoping to assuage his discomfort. His sight moved to Matoba's hands now resting on the steering wheel, debating whether to say anything else.

"Thank you for not coming to my house since then," he stated calmly, his smile expressing a genuine gratitude. Matoba did not know if he should feel himself being praised or blamed with that kind of welcome, though it was not like he cared in general. It was just as it was. Or perhaps there was little distinguishing the two?

"You know," Matoba smiled, sneeringly and charmingly, "I thought you wanted to see me." His eyes, though on the road, made Natsume's mind reel. He did not know what to say, but he almost forgot Matoba's words when help arrived.

"Like hell he would...!" Madara picked up the topic. The cat had been fallen asleep, but he had woken up once the car had run through a pothole in the road. A soft paw extended itself in the exorcist's direction. "Hey, kid... Let me assure you, if you do anything stupid, I'll eat you for a snack." The paw withdrew to let its owner's eyes throw Matoba a charming, slanty-eyed glance.

It was charming enough to amuse Matoba. Natsume was sitting just next to him. And the youkai had no idea what was going on between them. Well, for Natsume's sake, he'll hold back.

Natsume's eyes hid themselves behind the paper seal as he could feel his heart beating now like a timer. He hoped they could stop somewhere on the way at least an hour or two from now and that there would be a chance for them to be beyond his sensei's sharp eyes. At least the setting sun was calming his general tension, making all the scenery around them dyed in a pinky-golden undertone and allowing some coolness into the air, which was today unusually heavy. It was probably one of the warmest days this year.

"Actually..." Natsume braced as he responded, "Well, I partially wanted to see you... but I was worried about my family." Natsume counted the Book of Friends as a member. Quickly, he considered that bringing anybody important to him into discussion with Matoba may turn out to be unwise. He started to search about for any other topic, finally finding one suitable enough. "But … let's skip that. Can you tell us some details about the pagoda?"

"That will come in due time," the older man stated. He added afterwards, "Geez, I had been so busy the past few days… I even had lots of work today before we have met. There are many youkai involved in this affair, you see."

"I see..." Natsume said vacantly as he felt the squishy paws put up against his chest. The cat started to sniff the fabrics at once trying to identify the strange scent of the plant from Taki. Natsume automatically started to stroke the maneki neko's fur. He had no idea why the cat was so interested in his outfit, but he was about to find out very soon.

"Is there... this... is... some kind of spell put on it...?" Madara yawned lazily_, "I'm feeling dizzy..." _He yawned once again, this time a bigger, wider one. _"It's __smh__..."_ the cat moved his belly up, "I'm falling asleep... Natsumnme..."

The cat wasn't sounding suspicious, though, which made Natsume sigh with both annoyance and relief, before a single _"Wait...!"_ passed through his mind. This was actually rather convenient! He had completely forgotten that Madara was a youkai. He was so used to seeing his sensei as a member of the family that he'd even forgotten about his most basic characteristics, it seemed. Either way, the cat was out, at least to some degree.

Matoba had been staying concentrated on the road, though the youkai's last question had surprised him. "Nothing like that, kitty," he stated blandly, "I haven't put anything on it."

It was the truth, Natsume knew. Matoba had done nothing to it. It was Madara's disciple who had done it. Natsume didn't have any bad intentions in using that substance, though, but now, he wondered whether perhaps he subconsciously did. He could clearly see the effect of his intentions - his sensei pleasantly sleeping on his lap, supposedly drugged. It was convenient, but was it right? Anyway, it made Natsume's head fall back upon the headrest before he exhaled with a mixture of relief and irritation.

The corners of Matoba's lips rose when he returned his sight from the cat back to the road.

"Natsume-kun." He had very little doubt as to whose fault this was, and now, the youkai was taken care of. "Well done."


	14. Chapter 14

"It's not what it looks like!" It was definitely not what it looked like, and Natsume knew that better than anyone. Or at least, he knew what was actually going on. He knew that Matoba knew that drugging Madara could only be his work. "...Maybe he ate something bad..."

Natsume also had the seal to cover Madara's eyes during their forthcoming visit to the temple on him, and it crossed his mind that the item might possibly help wake the cat up, but... Even though he hadn't planned on having his guardian down for the count, he wasn't quite sure if he truly wanted the other to be awake at this moment in time. He decided it was better not to act impulsively.

"I see..." Matoba said expressionlessly. Or, at the very least, Natsume could not pinpoint any particular emotion hidden in his tone. This irritated him a little, but he gave up on analyzing it further for now.

The best option remaining for him was to play the fool, but this wouldn't work on Matoba. He knew that Matoba knew. Still, he did not want Madara awake, just in case the latter, despite being completely intoxicated, could hear them talk in his sleep-like state. "Ugh… I told him to do not eat anything questionable looking, but he keeps insisting on doing so..."

"I can give him medicine once we arrive," Matoba offered indifferently.

He believed his story? Was that even possible? Either way, this suspicious proposition hooked Natsume's attention.

"You have medicines for youkai?" He asked, astonished.

"I don't use them too often," the other gave a significant smile. Natsume was not surprised by this news. "I have many things for youkai."

_"And I suppose none of them are being used for any good..."_ The boy winced as he mused, his fists clenched over his knees. Now, Nyanko-sensei somehow felt really heavy all of the sudden. "Can we stop for a moment? I want to put him in the backseat."

"Just toss him back there," Matoba dismissed the situation. Was there any problem with moving the youkai over the seats and putting him on the rear the 'normal' way?

"I don't want to throw him. He doesn't seem to be feeling well," Natsume replied, realizing his irritation must've risen sometime during the conversation.

He stroked Madara's sleeping form to calm himself down a little.

Matoba was considering fulfilling Natsume's wish, but Natsume still looked impatient to move the youkai to the backseat. It was fascinating for Matoba to see Natsume like this, so impatient and a little pissed off. He decided he would stop the car, but only in ten, twenty minutes or so.

"Natsume-kun," Matoba said slowly and concernedly, "if you join the Matoba, all of the medicine will be at your disposal."

"I'd be allowed to heal the youkai?" Natsume asked with reappearing astonishment, his voice slightly tinged with irony.

_"Hah…?... Is he considering…?"_ The thought struck Matoba like an airplane. Still, Natsume's question was a bit ridiculous. "If there appeared any need for it... You know, it's not like we run a hospital for youkai or something." The thought made Matoba chuckle, which only served to douse Natsume's growing ire with oil.

"It would be good if such hospitals existed."_ "I wish they did, somewhere..."_ Natsume crossed his arms as his eyebrows narrowed in annoyance.

Even though good ideas like these existed in Matoba's head, they always warped in the other man's mind, Natsume mused as his sight rested on Madara's silhouette rising and dropping with each sleeping breath, which painfully recalling him to his strange reality. There was a part of him that was clearly feeling happy with turning off the cat's senses. And he knew, or at least he was guessed, that Matoba would stop the car eventually. Since he had requested, it, he was sure it would happen, sooner or later.

"Maybe here?" Matoba asked rhetorically as he slowed down the car.

A random forest flew by. _'Let it be.' _"Fine." The boy calmly answered.

The car had stopped. Natsume opened the door and placed a foot on the ground, carefully cradling the cat in his hands.

From Matoba's view, Natsume looked like as though he were handling the spirit with kid gloves, and the sight hit him like a heavy rock falling from the edge of a precipice. He knew that Natsume cared about the ayakashi, but it looked like he cared about them a little too much… He should be brought back to earth.

The exorcist knew he had to do something about it, yet he could not deny that Natsume really cared about these creatures. He must have been harboring some hope that this was not true deep in his heart, ever since he'd first met this boy, but now its flame was being blown out rather harshly.

"Oi, help me…!" Natsume called once he had gotten off and was now standing in front of the locked rear door.

It sounded slightly like an order, Matoba thought. On the other hand, it was nice to hear Natsume asking for his help. And he sounded so selfishly demanding, so he let him have what he wanted.

Matoba got off to help Natsume open the door. "In he goes."

Natsume bent to put Madara in the backseat. It was done carefully, the blond pushing his own belongings resting nearby aside to make room for the youkai. He even covered the cat with a cloth of some sort. Matoba sighed.

_"Thank you, Nyanko-sensei, for 'not being' here,"_ Natsume sighed softly as he retreated.

The door closed and the cat looked like he was sleeping safe peacefully, with the Book of Friends resting somewhere beneath his head in Natsume's bag.

Natsume felt himself relax a little now that he had his hands empty for the first time in a while. Nyanko-sensei was quite heavy after all.

"Natsume," Natsume heard it coming from somewhere behind his head, "since we've stopped anyway, let's take a walk."

"Okay…" Natsume answered hesitantly. It wasn't that he didn't want it. Now that the offer had come, he felt as excited as he was scared.

Physical excitement was not a familiar feeling to Natsume and he found it hard to deal with. He even thought he was close to losing consciousness at some points during the walk, but he had already agreed to this.

Meanwhile the night set over the verdant background. The last traces of day could still be seen in the darkening sky, but everything else was already under the moon's pallid command. Its white, shining glow fell over the trees, grasses, and mosses, the blossoming flowers, the forest paths, and the very air.

Although Natsume found the forest and approaching night genuinely refreshing, the air felt so heavy it was hard to breathe.

Eventually they reached a place where the forest's thicket was split into open clearings, large and small**. **There was a bench in one of them, though the park appeared out of service. The bench's legs must have grown into the forest bed a long time ago, which was why the seat was resting on the ground and surrounded by grass waving in the mild summer wind.

"Why don't we take a seat?" Natsume proposed more then asked as he stopped to wipe the sweat from his forehead. Couldn't Matoba walk a bit slower? It was supposed to be a relaxing walk, not a hike. He had felt like they'd traversed a few miles in the past ten or so minutes. "I'm exhausted..." He added as he propped his hands on his knees to catch some air.

At least it looked like he managed to stop Matoba with his voice. And hopefully also situate him on that bench.

"By my estimation, the pace should actually be slow for you."

"Excuse me?" Natsume asked. He didn't understand what was being said.

Not only he was tired but he has been also lost in his thoughts, all the way until now having walked a few steps behind the older man.

"With your strength… If you walked like that with the ayakashi, you would've been dead a long time ago."

Natsume's hand clenched itself into a fist as his eyebrows furrowed themselves instinctively – his first reaction to hearing the other man's words. Not that he questioned the truth behind Matoba's statement but still… the latter didn't have to be so straightforward.

With his eyes shut, he shook his head back and forth a few times to jerk out all the upsetting thoughts. Once those seemed to be gone, he sighed loudly to express his discontent.

Matoba also sighed, though his was more out of amusement. Natsume was so easy to predict and manipulate.

"Natsume…" The exorcist said as he smiled to the other, "join the Matoba clan."

"Oh, that is enough!" The reply was rather instantaneous. Matoba wondered if the boy had even thought about the actual meaning of the question before he'd responded. Natsume continued, "I've already told you I would never…-" His words were interrupted by Matoba's strong grasp around his wrist.

"You will have everything you need and you will be accepted by everyone," Matoba looked into his eyes as he said decisively. And he was being perfectly honestly…at least, if you assumed that 'everything Natsume needed' was everything he felt the boy needed.

'_There's no chance that Touko-san and Shigeru-san, that Nyanko-sensei… that anyone would accept such a scenario!'_ That was true enough, and Natsume was glad to hear his mind was more his ally than an enemy, like it was sometimes wont to do. Unfortunately, his body seemed to be more loyal to the Matoba clan than to himself once again here. He recalled this was the same feeling he had the first time he was close with this guy.

"Oh…" Matoba let go of Natsume's hand once he realized what he'd done. _'I'll ask him again another time…'_ Not that he was disappointed or surprised by Natsume's answer... He had some inkling what the response was going to be, which was why his question had been mostly rhetorical. Either way, even mountains were destined to fall if exposed to water for too long. He just needed to be patient and keep on asking Natsume from time to time; one day the tower of Natsume's stubbornness would be demolished.

'_Geez...'_ Natsume's irises moved to the corners of his eyes as his sight traveled to the slowly waving trees. Their rustling leaves were calming both his upset mood and his general tension. "Don't ask me that question so often."

"You should be more open-minded."

Natsume decided not to reply. The discussion with Matoba would go nowhere, as usual. There was simply no sense in arguing with this person with no end in sight. He was open-minded enough to take a step closer, at least, hoping to take a seat next to him. Unfortunately, he wasn't watching his steps, his eyes anchored on the forest around him, and he accidentally stumbled over a small rock protruding from the grass, causing him to suddenly fall with a loud thump over the ground, bench and Matoba.

"Natsume-kun…" Matoba said, composed, despite his eyes still squinted from Natsume's headbutt. He helped Natsume up, having grabbed his arms instinctively at the last moment, and helped Natsume take a proper seat. "What are you doing?"

"Ah, I'm sorry…" Natsume said as he brushed the soil off his knees. It was almost certainly because of these unfamiliar geta sandals that he had almost fallen flat on his face. At least they were still on his feet.

And there was Matoba sitting on the bench, just next to him.

And for some reason, this fact relieved him.

But it looked like in all this chaos and bizarreness that made up Natsume's life, there was still the silver lining.

But then, there was also the bad. Couldn't he have ended up with some "normal" person rather than the leader of the Matoba clan? And he was even excited about it, especially now that the man was so near. Actually, he wouldn't mind if Matoba caught his wrist again, and perhaps didn't let go in the first place.

Matoba, on the other hand, wasn't in a hurry to be close to Natsume. Perhaps it was because he'd been waiting on this meeting for the last few days, but now that it was taking place, there was no need to hurry with anything. He had proposed the walk because he'd wanted to take a short break from driving before the next part of the journey.

However, now that they had stopped, Natsume was acting odd enough to wake his slumbering desire.

Natsume wasn't sure what in the heavens could have motivated him to place his hand on Matoba's chest, but he'd really needed the support. Before he realized what he'd done, that is.

He must've missed the moment his much-needed support, but it looks like he might've missed some other things as well.

He had no memories of the last few minutes. He came to, finding himself straddling Matoba. His realization and return to reality had come just as the image of their robes falling over the seat and the mossy ground registered in his mind. The image of Madara sleeping in the car flew through his mind for a second, but it left just as quickly, emptying it instantaneously.

Matoba's hand sent the seal covering Natsume's eyes into disarray, letting him catch the fleeting image of the exorcist's features during the kiss. He looked like a youkai. Natsume thought Matoba would certainly get angry at this impression should he ever learn of it, but it was a good thing that people did not have access to others' minds.

Matoba looked like a youkai but was licking him like an animal. It was somehow so unsophisticated, as Natsume had previously thought, and yet Matoba made it somehow look highly refined.

And his hands were traveling over his body like rivers during a flood – unconditioned by any possible barriers, especially ones in the form of wayward fabrics. Natsume gasped as one of those hands finally sunk beneath his pants and started caressing his member. The kiss eventually broke and he curled into Matoba's embrace with his hands crumpling the latter's hair and kimono.

Natsume felt his whole body trembling as he clung to Matoba tightly. He hoped they wouldn't resume kissing too soon. It would instantly intensify what was going on, and he didn't want that. And yet, despite what his mind hoped for, he longed for it rather badly.

Jump forward a few seconds, and Matoba's tongue was filling his whole mouth and brushed against his own appendage strong enough to push him to the verge of climax. He knew he had to stop it, at least for a moment, but soon.

Natsume knew he had to stop this, and so he was relieved when Matoba did it in his place. He realized he couldn't bring himself to stop the other's movements or himself from surrendering to them.

"Natsume..." Matoba removed his hand from him to clasp Natsume's eye-seal, which he drew aside, wetting it through, "tell me what you want."

'_Huh?' _The question was like the sharp slap of an alarm clock in the morning. But seriously… What kind of question was that? (Like he knew the answer…) It was even asked politely, which unbalanced him.

"Mnh..." Natsume clenched his sweating hands on the other's kimono, "Ah... I… don't know..." He realized it was very uncommon for him to be so genuinely honest with anybody, and amongst all the possible creatures, it was with this particular one.

"Do you wish to be on top ?" Matoba's smile looked strangely warm all of the sudden, but the words pushed Natsume into the dark pit of speculative sanity. "I'll agree."

_"…What…?"_ Natsume knew he had lost his mind somewhere on the way here, or perhaps even before that, but it looked like Matoba had no brain to begin with.

"I wish to see you appeased completely."

'Ma… toba-san…'_ 'What… did he say…?'_ Natsume was not exactly sure what he meant by that, but what he was sure was that Matoba was much more wicked than all the youkai and humans he'd met in his life combined.

In a split second, Natsume's mind flipped through his memory. Disregarding gender, he could swear that nobody, not Madara, Hinoe, Tanuma or even Natori would ever come with something so... "You're mad." The boy said with vehemence, though he didn't have a better opinion about himself, especially since he was tempted into the invisible, sticky arms of these twisted events.

"Oh, so shy, aren't you?" Matoba smiled ironically. Not that he was shocked by Natsume's answer. In fact, he knew there was not too much sense in asking Natsume about anything usually. It was not changing the fact he really was prepared to grant Natsume's every wish (or almost every wish). He was aware that he was obsessed with Natsume and likewise knew that there was no medicine for these obsessions. "So?"

"No way." Natsume waved his hand to throw the image from his mind. He knew that this man was scary. It made him simultaneously appealing, what with all the crooked behavior, but he had no idea why.

Natsume took a deep breath as he replied, digging his hands in the other's black hair. "I… hm… I will follow..." He felt Matoba's hands drifting over his body and the latter's legs crossing themselves behind his back, pulling Natsume further into his lap. He noticed there was almost no space between them.

"Natsume-kun," Matoba pulled out the sash to his own kimono, "you interest me to no end." He found it convenient that Natsume did not protest as he pulled the sash off the latter's kimono as well.

Matoba kissed Natsume's neck as he nibbled his soft skin, not too gently. Natsume saw in the corner of his eye the pale hand folding its fingers into a familiar gesture. He quickly caught the other's wrist, the action crisp in his decisiveness rather than shyness.

"No, that aside," he stated firmly, "we can't simply do this here like this..." Despite what he was saying, his voice sounded rather disappointed to Matoba. "Nyanko-sensei may wake up and come here."

"The cat... ?" Matoba thought Natsume really had to see the ayakashi as equal to humans. This was dangerous. "Natsume, please don't bring the youkai here." He referred to not only the cat, but also youkai in general and the entire concept all together.

It was better to silence Natsume temporary so Matoba slid his hands under Natsume's robe.

Natsume gasped at the sensation as he let his hands rest over Matoba's hardness, feeling it through the fabric of the kimono.

Matoba had no idea what Natsume had in mind, but what he was doing felt pleasant. He also knew, as he admitted to himself internally, it would be better if they avoided letting the cat see them today like this. Not like he cared about anything connected to the spirits, but having Natsume in too nasty a mood was not generally convenient.

"Hah... you're touching it so competently…"the exorcist said after a while.

"Nn…ha.. h… ah… don't tell me that…" The embarrassment passed through Natsume's spirit like a lone soldier stepping into the enemy's nest_. "Geez... Matoba-san... please don't tell me anything that would make me finish any sooner…!"_ Natsume thought, but his heart was beating now rather rapidly as he felt the wet tongue re-entering his mouth.

Matoba did not mind doing everything quicker if Natsume were worried about the youkai. To see how little it would take to make Natsume cum would be enjoyable enough.

With his left hand working on Natsume's erection, he slid the right through the sandy hair and pulled on it decisively, easily forcing Natsume's head to fall back and earning him a painful moan.

Actually, Natsume found this blow of violence to be very on the spot. At the same time, Matoba's palm and fingers were jerking him faster and faster, brushing the upper part of his cock.

"Ahhhn... ahh..." Natsume struggled to catch more air, "Ahhhhh... ahhhh... Aaaaah..." He felt the hand in his hair tighten again and then his lips were brought to meet the other's. The kiss was unexpectedly and disturbingly gentle with the exorcist's tongue only licking his lips; at the same time the hand in his pants was moving so fast and passionately. "Aaahh... ahh..." Natsume felt himself melting as the other man slid his tongue inside.

Natsume was successfully silenced, and now he could hear his moans crashing against the shore of his mind before fading inside emptiness. Eventually it all became so bright that he thought he could even see the twirling stars. Although his mind was whirling, its core was resting in an undisturbed tranquility. It made him feel like as though he'd left his body, and in some sense that had actually happened.

"Aaaah... hah... ah... ha…" Natsume let his head fall on Matoba's shoulder at once noticing that the latter's teeth had attached to the side of his bare nape. The shiki robes were noticeably disordered, exposing many parts of his body. Natsume shivered as he put his hands over the other's underwear, soon sliding one of them under the waistband and eventually taking Matoba in his still-trembling fingers.

"You don't need to." This voice, combined with the current state of his mind and body, made him feel almost nauseous. Perhaps he didn't need to do anything, but he wanted to do, and it looked like Matoba also wanted this (or at least his crotch did, rather evidently).

Natsume moved his hand. It was shaking so badly now after what had just been done to him seconds ago. He continued anyways; perhaps this inconvenience could be transformed into an advantage? He stroked as best he could, letting the trembling work their own magic.

"_Ah... so wet..."_ He felt his hand sliding over the warm, hard surface.

"Hah..." Matoba sighed before he re-attached his teeth in Natsume's shoulder. He moved his crossed legs to pull the blond's body closer to his as he dug his hands in the fabric of shiki robes. His eyes half-opened for a short second as he let his sight rest on the moon-dyed grasses waving under the wind. He shut them quickly, though, when he felt his vision skip blank.

"Ah... I might..." Natsume carried as he worked on, but he was ready.

"Don't change anything..."

Natsume thought Matoba did not seem to be in the mood. Was it Nyanko-sensei (i.e., 'a youkai issue') that had pissed him off, he wondered. He hoped he was only imagining it.

He continued onwards, and the hiccups in Matoba's breath were more than nice to hear; his hand was sliding over the tacky wetness and he had to stop for a moment to grasp the thing more properly, to let its foreskin better attach the head's border and surface. It passed through his mind to stroke Matoba's hair, but he did not want to piss him off now, when he could see it was going rather well.

And imagining he was. Matoba was experiencing one of the most wished experiences in his life, even he could not comprehend it was in fact happening.

Matoba suddenly heard Nanase's voice in his mind. _"Stop playing around already!"_ Matoba shooed the voice away to concentrate on the current situation. The stray imaginary voice was reasonable, but Matoba refused to let other people into his mind, not if they could stroll through with hubbub in a noisy market. Whatever he envisioned became reality. This he had confirmation of served on a plate before him.

Natsume's moves felt rather nice indeed, but rather it was the latter's presence alone that made the feeling so extremely pleasant. He could even tell the moment it started to become overwhelming; just these three moves up and down, and then one stuttering. "Ah, ahh..."

Natsume slid his free hand over Matoba's back to let its fingers entangle in the latter's hair, also serving to stabilize his body, though a bit unskillfully.

In Matoba's opinion though Natsume's moves were perfect in their imperfection and whatever the boy was doing, no matter the intention, was sending him over the borders of ecstasy. Eventually his vision, covered and uncovered, disappeared. He could not hear anything, only echo of a splash.

_"Ha..h... Natsume... Natsume is…"_ Matoba thought he might be dreaming. If he was dreaming, he did not want to wake up. And so he chose to continue believing in the dream.

Natsume clenched his palm even tighter, squeezing him under the sliding fingers. The pace quickened, and the motions grew more unstable.

Natsume hoped he'd rubbed the other's most sensitive places at the most important moments, and he tried to kiss Matoba's neck and play with his hair at the same time, though it was not so easy to do so many things properly at the same moment, especially with the limited number of hands.

"Ah... ah... ahhh..." Matoba was panting and Natsume could hear it clearly enough with the exorcist's face just next to his. Somehow he managed succeed in wiping the anger from Matoba's face. He pulled on the base of the latter's ponytail, pressing Matoba's back up against the bench's backrest. He couldn't recall how that strange, gentle way of kissing the older man had used went, so he invented his own equivalent to it.

_"Natsume, …I think I adore you." _


	15. Chapter 15

Natsume dragged his fingers across the car's window as he sighed with a relief. _"Nyanko-sensei... he's sleeping like a log..."_

In fact, Madara had been lying on his back. If it weren't for his fur moving slowly up and down with each breath, Natsume might have even suspected his sensei was dead. Additionally the maneki neko's expression resembled a statue's now more than either animal or spirit.

Natsume himself also felt a little drowsy and, as soon as the car moved into motion, the feeling grew even stronger.

Although he thought there was only a very thin sliver of similarity between the leader of the Matoba clan and Matoba in private, the thread was firm enough to make him feel at ease (at least in this particular moment).

Eventually his eyelids slide shut without him even noticing.

He wasn't sure if it was because of the "walk" he'd taken or the sight of his cat slumbering with such happiness it looked criminal or these two combined that had put him to sleep for the rest of the journey, but once he'd woken up he realized he had been talking with a strange youkai in his dream. He couldn't recall the contents, though. At least the remnants of the dream felt more mysterious than terrifying.

Either way, he raised his hand to rub the sleep from his eye as he watched the sight fly past by the window. _"The bamboo forest…"_

"This is amazing… The forest looks like…" Natsume muttered, still half-asleep, as his consciousness started to faze back to the mundane world. The forest looked amazing indeed, although not too much could be seen in the omnipresent darkness. Instead, a few images of the dream about the youkai flashed vividly through his mind, and for a moment it felt like the entire dream was within his grasp, but then it dispersed like a fog a second later.

"Well, this is a sacred zone..." Matoba replied. "For years, they used to plant these trees here. It serves as a kind of protective barrier…"

"Protective barrier?" Natsume repeated blankly.

"These days it's not so common, but the temple here is quite old. Or, to be more precise, before they had raised this pagoda, another temple had been in its place for an undefined period of time. It's like the generations have continued to cultivate the custom even today," the exorcist explained before adding, "We're almost at our destination."

"Maybe you could tell me something about what we have to do before we arrive?" Natsume asked once he realized he was very much lacking any real information about these ayakashi and their circumstances. It was very helpful that Matoba was so well-informed in this domain.

"It's rather complicated, and some things you'll have to figure out on your own… For starters, it would be helpful if you could find the Jizos. There should be six in total. I don't know how many are missing at the moment and if they had relocated any in the past few days but … hm, well, I wouldn't expect them to have found more than one…" He sighed as he slowed down the car.

The car stopped. They climbed out.

Natsume had to carry the sleeping Madara in his hands. It was convenient for him that Matoba had taken all his belongings, though that did not change the fact that was on eggshells with the exorcist carrying the Book of Friends. Thank every god out there that at least Matoba was unaware of that, but the knowledge was still uneasy enough to sway Natsume's peace of mind and to keep him on alert.

The forest was very dense and if not the small stone lanterns dotting the path, it would've probably been too dark to walk through. Despite the sky being free of clouds, no moonlight reached the ground floor anywhere.

There were no fences which would separate the paths from the trees it snaked through, and the forest bed felt so flat that it would leave one with an impression of stepping through a kind of a grand hall, covered with a plush carpet of green leaves of varying shades. Few even of the wider paths looked like they were carved out with wooden planks. Most of them appeared to have simply been beaten out with use.

Strangely, the forest seemed so familiar to Natsume he felt certain that he had to have been here once in the past, but at the same time he had not the slightest doubt that this was definitely the first time he had set foot here.

Eventually they reached a larger road that led up to and through a tori gate, its shape looming over the undeterminable distance.

_"The forest itself is the barrier and they've also placed this gate here… I'm sure there're also numerous shimenawas on the trees."_ Natsume thought as habitually he narrowed his eyebrows even though he wasn't feeling any particular disturbances.

He noticed the air was unusually serene. _"…What's up with is this place?"_ Natsume pondered as he noticed the omnipresent noise traveling through the air. At first, he couldn't identify what it was, but then he realized that they were cicadas. Their voices sounded like a rain, and he even held out his hand to make sure there were no water drops on it.

A single insect perched on one of the lanterns he was passing by, almost as though welcoming him to its domain. The squeaking rang loud enough to drown out his own voice completely if he were to speak. Luckily, that wasn't a problem at the moment, since he wasn't in the mood for chatting with either the sleeping cat or Matoba.

Natsume raised his hand to ensure his eyes were shielded properly now when they were getting closer to the temple.

Finally they reached the towering red gate and passed through, continuing on their journey up the main path. Suddenly everything looked even more distinctive somehow, as if the air had gone even clearer than before, as though he were seeing the world around him through a clean window before and was now experiencing it for the first time without the glass barrier.

"The bells?" He asked rather rhetorically since he directed the question more to himself than to Matoba.

He glanced behind him, uncovering his eyes just a sliver to take a look at the gate, which in fact did not appear to have anything hanging from it. Still, he was sure he'd heard the sound of bells earlier, clear and ringing through the incessant rain of cicada chirping.

"Ah, so you can hear them…" _"As expected from Natsume-sama…"_ Matoba replied before adding, "You see, normal people can't hear them."

"I couldn't see them though," Natsume mused as he asked,"Are they placed on this gate?"

"It seems so, though we have only ever known it by its sound." Matoba raised his eyes to the wooden building which was beginning to take shape in the distance, its tip rising from the nearby horizon. His eyes also caught sight of the people who could be seen standing in a line by the road. "Exorcists who live in this area say nobody has ever seen them… They thus say that, because it is nothing more than sound, perhaps it is a manifestation of youkai or the kami… Either way, it is likely it belongs to the spirit world…" He explained. "Interesting, isn't it?"

"Hmm…"

They kept walking until they finally reached the people standing in line before the temple.

The temple looked as Natsume had imagined. It was a kind of old-style gojū no tō, and indeed it looked quite ancient.

The people bowed to Matoba in a gesture of welcome. It was a late hour, and it never failed to surprised Natsume that all these people were waiting and standing there in such formal way. They were there, for sure, on an order from the Matoba clan, he thought.

"Thank you for your visit, Matoba-sama," one of them spoke the words of welcome.

"Matoba-sama, we are so happy to see you," another seemingly older man spoke with a mixture of gratitude and worry, "We live so far from the reaches of civilization, and it must have been a long journey. You must be exhausted..." Natsume couldn't see their faces too clearly in the night and the seal covering his eyes may be transparent, but only partially so. The person though sounded rather preoccupied. "Allow us to apologize for bothering you with this affair. We really didn't intend to disturb you but all our local exorcists have proven helpless in this case, despite how weak it appears..."

"We feel guilty for causing you to travel all this way here," the voice which had been speaking previously continued in his explanations, "but we really don't know what to do any more!"

"I see… No need to worry yourselves so much," Matoba stated as he took a few steps in the direction of the entrance. But then he stopped for another second. "Return to your activities. I will start tomorrow."

"Please take one of the upper floors," one of the gathered people spoke sincerely. "We'll do our best to do not disturb your work. We've sent out most of the occupants for the time being and the only remaining are the two guards on the last floor as well as some workers on the ground floor to keep the property and works…"

"I see... Very well." Matoba answered in a rather kind tone, which apparently cheered up the man, who was now expressing his gratitude.

"Would you like to eat something?" the middle-aged woman asked before adding, "It's quite late, but I presume you have had much business today as well as in the past few days..."

"Thank you, but there will be no need for that today." The exorcist waved his hand in a gesture of denial.

"I see..." The woman replied as she looked at Madara, who was sleeping in Natsume's arms. "You brought a cat? Or is this a new type of a youkai?"

"Ah, this… It's this shiki's pet." Matoba answered tersely. Natsume twitched a little as the woman's interest in the cat grew after her initial surprise. Eventually she squatted down and stroked Madara's fur. "This cat is also a youkai," Matoba continued. "It looks like this shiki is attached to it for no discernable reason, since it carries that cat everywhere..."

"…It's nothing strange. The cat brings fortune to human, so it's not a surprise that youkai will also attempt to improve their luck through youkai-cats." The woman sounded as though she was going to leave the conversation there, but then she added, as though in precaution, "Currently we have two special chambers for keeping the youkai in protective circles. One on the second floor and another on the third. Please, make use of them as you please."

Natsume wondered who all these people were. Some of them seemed like Matoba's subordinates and some like relatives. Either way he hoped Matoba would not plan to lock Nyanko-sensei in any chamber for youkai. He would never agree for something like that, regardless of the circumstances.

The woman continued,"Too bad it's a youkai. Our temple is sorely in need of cats of the ordinary sort."

"But you had some the last time I was here, if I remember correctly… What happened to them?"

"Ah, that was a long time ago. They have all either left or passed…"

"That's rather sad news," the exorcist expressed his condolences to the fortune bringers before offering a possible solution. "The next time I come here, maybe I'll bring some with me. Or perhaps we can try to use this cat to locate some strays and tame them."

"Thank you! That would be great!"

"Well then…" Matoba left the people behind as he tugged the sleeve of Natsume's robe. "Let's go."

They left the group, entering the building and climbing up the stairs.

They stopped by the seemingly unobtrusive door, which the exorcist slid opened. The place wasn't too spacious, though it was slightly furnished and illuminated by a few paper lanterns. The room was rather simple, with the floors covered with tatami mats and a few low furniture, two sofas side by side and a few round cushions resting on the floor.

Natsume had been holding the cat in his hands all the way up here and now he was not sure what he should do with the animal. The whole day, plus the long journey had exhausted him more than a little, but the thought that he would be sleeping just next to Matoba was keeping him in the arms of tension. In the end, he put the cat on one of the cushions resting near the door leading to a terrace. The cat would be just opposite their beds, which put Natsume on edge, but he chose to leave the things the way it was, if only for the time being.

"Can I use the bathroom?" he asked eventually as he stopped in front of the shelf where his belongings had been placed.

"You'll find one on each floor. Natsume," The exorcist sighed. His voice sounded somewhat weary. "Feel free to explore as you please."

"Thank you," Natsume said as he grabbed his pajamas and left the room. At least the floor's levels were not as complicated as he'd expected. The building was built in a square, with an empty space in its center, around which the level's and rooms were distributed.

Matoba had urged Natsume to find the way on his own, and he was fine with that. Actually he was not that in hurry, so he did not mind checking the place out. He passed a few doors, all of which looked almost identical, before he chose a random one to peek inside. Behind it was an ordinary room. This one was rather small, or rather it simply looked it because it was packed with furniture and some other things. He closed it without further ado.

The lanterns were placed everywhere, which Natsume found very helpful now that he was looking for a particular place. Eventually, he made it.

He entered the bathroom wherein he changed his clothes and prepared himself for sleep. He left and was about to return to his shared room, but then he realized he'd forgotten the location of their room. He headed back, trying the door he thought led back to the room they were staying in, incidentally opening the door leading to the adjoining one.

Having noticed it was not the room he was looking for, he was planning to close it, but something instantly drew his attention. Two small, shining eyes were looking at him, from near one of the walls.

Interesting. He re-entered the room automatically. He closed the door in case.

It looked like one of the planks making up the wall looked different from the others somehow.

Natsume guessed that the youkai must have been hiding somewhere behind or inside the wood. He took a step closer to examine the seemingly harmless ayakashi.


	16. Chapter 16

He squatted so he was almost perfectly on eye-level with the orbs focused intently on him the moment he'd put his hand on the wall.

"Hello little one, what are you doing here?" he asked, anticipating the youkai to come out of the wall to show its actual form. It didn't happen though.

"Shh... shh... Be quiet!"

"Wah!" Natsume jumped back with a yelp and landed on the floor supporting himself with his hand behind himself. "The plank spoke!"

"Be quiet!" The plank whispered rather loudly. "The kami is sleeping!"

"Eh?" Natsume raised his hand to lift the seal from his face and take a better look on his current conversant who had now directed its somehow transparent eyes to his. "A wooden plank youkai?"

"A human?!" the plank crackled. "Are you an exorcist or a monk?" it asked suspiciously.

"Well... I'm not a monk…" Natsume felt really strange being mistaken for one now, "…and I'm definitely not an exorcist either..."

"Liar! You can see me!"

"Yes, I can see you, but," Natsume wanted to continue, but he realized it was not the time for a longer debate. "I'm sorry, but I have to go." Still, he wanted to check before leaving, "Wait, a moment..." He sent the creature a keen look. "You're a youkai, aren't you?"

"Shh... shh... I'm just an old wooden plank!"

"I see..." he said, resigned, as he went to the room's door.

"Oi, wait! Take me with you!"

"What?" he asked as he halted in his tracks. "I can't... take you with me. The wall would be destroyed and maybe even crumble. What do you think?" He put his hand on the doorframe. "Sorry, but I really have to go now..." He opened the door and left the room. He could hear the plank's cracking sound and he felt like going back. Still he didn't want to stay there so long that Matoba would get suspicious and come to retrieve him, probably immediately exorcising this local youkai, who looked rather friendly. Natsume decided to come back the next day, when Matoba would be occupied with something else outside.

From behind the door the plank's voice seemed to be just the normal sound of old creaking wood.

"So this was this wall on the right," Natsume thought, mentally marking the location after he'd returned to the room he was staying in. Matoba was not there at the moment. He hoped the latter had not heard him talking with the spirit a moment ago. Instead, he noticed that his sensei had woken up. The cat was patrolling the room's area, sniffing all the corners and objects.

"Nyanko-sensei!" The boy called to the cat as he closed the door behind him. The thought about drugging his sensei hit Natsume's conscience like a heavy stone all of the sudden, but he tried his best to look innocent. "How are you feeling? You were passed out the whole here..." "Sorry about that..."

The cat stretched, yawning, before turning to Natsume. "It was... I feel I had a very nice dream…, …but I can't remember a thing from it, and when it had started?" Madara stroked his ear, as though trying to drag something out of his mind. "The last memory I have is that we were talking at home and I saw you in these clothes..." He pointed on the robes and seal laying on one of the cushions as he looked at Natsume with his eyes reflecting confusion. "I have the impression I was talking with Matoba in the car. I'm not sure about that though... I don't remember anything from that talk, hm…" The cat mused as he directed his sight somewhere to the ceiling. "But it must have been a dream I think now... yes... The way I remember this... I remember it in a way I usually remember dreams," Madara kept on musing.

Natsume gave a deep sigh of relief when the door was opened again, revealing Matoba in his night robe, which looked not too different than his standard one. Both were black after all.

The exorcist took a few steps, stopping and smoothly squatting down just before the maneki neko. "Oh, looks like the cat is all right." The exorcist put his foxy smile on his face before he sent Madara a warm and charming look.

"Of course I am!" The cat almost jumped at his face. "And did you expect any differently? Hm!" he snorted conceitedly.

"I thought ,or rather… I heard you had eaten something poisoned and so I brought you… a medicine of sorts." Matoba stood up and went to the table to put a small container there, locked with a paper seal.

"It doesn't look like sake," Madara stated as he sniffed the jar.

"The seal?" The inked signs written on the paper grabbed Natsume's attention.

"There are spirit particles sealed in jar," Matoba informed.

Natsume felt like he was in some kind of forbidden laboratory even though there was no real reason to have such a strong impression. (Actually the room was more empty of things than filled with them.) Probably the jar with the youkai extract was terrifying enough to have caused it.

The loud sound of the cracking wood drew Madara's attention instantly and set him on alert. He wouldn't be able to concentrate on guard through the whole night if he were to ignore the what is for sure something more than just an ordinary sound.

"Hey, Natsume!" the cat directed to his disciple, who meanwhile had gone to bed and was now lying under the blankets with his eyes squinting under the light of the nearby lamp. "I'll be back in a moment."

Natsume felt himself being blessed by good fortune. He wondered if that blessing wasn't the work of "the kami" the plank had been talking about. Any situation where his sensei leaves him alone with Matoba for even a split second was one of his happier dreams.

The cat left the room and to Natsume's delight, he even closed the door behind him. Natsume could hear his stomping fade before finally disappearing from his ears and mind.

Natsume had been closing his eyes and so he didn't know what Matoba had been doing for the few minutes after the cat had left, but he was satisfied when the other man finally climbed into bed. And it was convenient their beds were already joined. He felt Matoba's hands embracing him from behind and sliding onto over chest and hip.

"Natsume," Matoba said as he nestled his face in Natsume's hair, "warm me up a bit, won't you?"

His voice alone was enough to make Natsume melt physically and mentally, and there was also the extremely pleasant feeling of the other's body moving and leaning against his own. Perhaps it was also because he had been waiting for this moment, when he and Matoba would both be in bed, for a long time, and now that the time had finally come, there was also the fact that Madara could be back at any moment, which made him realize just how deep his current weakness for Matoba was.

'Ahh…' Natsume breathed at the sensation of the exorcist rubbing his face against his in that cat-like manner of his, which Natsume recently had become quite familiar with, and entwining their fingers at the same time._ 'Geez… Matoba-san… Don't… do too much now…'_ Natsume thought despite his conflicting wish for the opposite.

For now Matoba did nothing more than improve their position but it was enough to make Natsume shiver with tension as the boy found himself looking up at the dark-haired man from below. Natsume noticed it was unusually comfortable with the pillow perfectly positioned under his head. His body was feeling so heavy that he felt he could sink straight into the bed and floor as though he were a rock in quicksand. In addition, he noticed that he was also getting hard as a rock, too.

He barely managed to keep hold of his composure, but Matoba's movements were not helping him. And the other currently looked just as Natsume liked him. There wasn't that sneaky undertone that usually covered his face. Rather his eyes and gestures seemed empty of its usual cynicism, instead replaced by shades of concern, desire and some undefined emotion mixed together.

Natsume slid his free hand into the other's sleek hair immediately, replying to Matoba's rhetorical question of "Now?" "Only until we're alone… and please…," he added with a growing emotion, "…please don't hurt me…! I don't know what you're planning…!"

_"Sigh…"_ Matoba closed his eyes in response. It's not like he had planned to hurt Natsume at all, especially at this particular moment.

Natsume was not sure what Matoba had in mind, but he was sure that Madara, sooner or later, would have something figure out what he shouldn't know.

In any case, Natsume was too dazed to realize he had answered already answered Matoba's question despite not knowing what it was about.

Madara slipped into the adjoining room. When he opened the door, he instantly came face to face with the source of the cracking sound that he had heard a moment ago.

"Hey you!" The cat pattered his round body on its tiny paws in the plank direction, "Maybe you know where the sake here is hidden?"

"Shh... shh... A maneki neko spoke!" The plank stage-whispered distractedly. It sounded surprised.

"I'm not a normal maneki neko, but it looks you are not a normal plank either." Madara looked suspiciously. "What are you doing here?" he asked, intrigued.

"I'm a plank in this wall!"

The cat was not surprised.

"Weakling! That much I can tell!" he screamed, irritated, which apparently scared the plank somehow, for it started to crack and tremble louder than before.

"Hey, don't scare me! The kami is sleeping! We have to be quiet!" It had a point there, the cat agreed inwardly, even though he had no idea what the plank was talking about.

_"Hmm..."_ Madara stored the information in his mind. He would definitely have to return here tomorrow. "So," He smiled as he sent the plank a piercing look. "What are you doing here? Tell me where is the sake."

"Shh... I stay here! I don't know where they keep it!" The plank seemed unreliable and Madara was ready to leave the place, but he was stopped by its next words. "Hey! Look through me!" The cracking voice suggested. "I show things usually hidden from their sight... which nobody can see."

"Oh? Really...?" This caught Madara's interest again as he took a few steps back to the plank, which had moved its eyes closer to floor level. This also meant it happened to match the cat's height, which caused the latter to bristle. "Hey! Better don't make fun of me! I'm eat weaklings like you for dessert."

Having said that Madara put his paws against the wall as he sniffed the wooden surface before he neared his eyes to the plank's which then soon disappeared, but they showed him a view from behind the another vision.

_"Oh! This is... the next room. Natsume, what is he doing?"_ the cat wondered.

Natsume gasped at the pressure of Matoba's body up against his. Matoba moved himself over Natsume simultaneously letting their lips to meet in a soaring kiss.

_"What is he doing?"_ The image shot through Madara like a lightning bolt.

Natsume put his hand across the exorcist's back to pull him even closer as he continued to pant after the kiss had finished. Matoba's lips left his to lick and bite his neck. "Ah... Ahhh..." Natsume tried to cut his moans off but instead he pulled on Matoba's hair under the sensation.

_"Geez... You're so naive, Natsume..."_ The cat facepaw-ed. _"He only hugged you and it was enough to... to make you act like this?"_ Madara felt himself breaking on the inside. _"I should have told Natori to hug you on the trip to the onsen. At least that would've been somewhat better than this..."_ Madara deepened in thoughts. _"Matoba could do all what he wants with him now!"_ He looked at Natsume's submissive actions. _"That idiot!"_ Natsume's hands, though, were pressing Matoba to himself so strongly that it touched the cat's heart, but just a little, tiny bit. _"Hm... but so much passion... and with Matoba? The exorcist? Natsume… I would have never suspect you..."_ The cat felt himself resigned. He fell to the floor as though he were shot._ "I always knew this guy was a bad news!"_

"Shh... shh... Did you see that?!" The plank cracked, interested in its visitor's reaction. "Shaha... aha..." It started to laugh in crackles, but it was shut with one punch from the paw.

"Didn't you have any better channel?!" Madara screamed with madness, "I wanted to see the booze, not that!"

"Please, take me with you!" the plank asked, as though it was harboring some hope in its wooden heart that Madara would take it with him despite his visible dissatisfaction. "I'm totally bored here! Since she has fallen asleep nobody talks to me and when I try to contact humans, they hit me!"

"Because you're just a cracking plank! You make noise!" Madara replied. "If a plank is cracking, somebody hits it. What do you expect?"

Maybe his logic lacked a sort of reason, and Madara was aware of this fact, but he decided to leave before he started making even less sense, what with his mind busy with erasing the image from earlier from it.

Despite this decision, he quickly said, "I can't take you with me right now... but I'll come back here a few hours from now. So don't talk to me from the other side of the wall, you may get yourself sealed or exorcised if you do." He stepped to the door. Immediately after, the sound of creaking and cracking quickly dying away.

Madara returned to the room, but he thought humans were really strange creatures. He situated himself in his previous place, a cushion resting opposite the sofas, as he eyed Matoba. The exorcist was laying on his back, his hand against his forehead with the palm facing the ceiling. His eyes eventually drifted over to catched the cat's for a second. There was something mutual in their eyes. Madara could not see all of Matoba's face but the latter looked like he was smiling. The cat was also smiling as Matoba closed his eye to sleep.

"Matoba." The cat looked charmingly at the spoken man, though he was not looking at him any longer. "Your every move is being watched," he stated decisively. "I'll be on guard all the time until you're out of his life… And should something happen, I'll eat you..."

"I trust I won't be eaten before sunrise." The exorcist said indifferently as he yawned. _"Interesting... I'm letting a youkai be in charge..."_ Despite this thought, he wasn't at all interested in analyzing the situation. He was simply too exhausted, enough to even wonder if perhaps he was already dreaming. For such an absurd situation happen, it must surely be a dream. _"This must be just a dream… Yes… I can't feel my body any longer… all… my thoughts... are crumbling apart... and why …am I dreaming about… this cat..."_

Natsume was laying on his side with his face turned away from Madara. Most likely it was the first time in his life he felt safer having Matoba situated between him and his sensei.

He was glad he had managed to hear the cat's steps early enough to move himself to their current position before Madara had opened the door, but he definitely didn't think that meeting his sensei's eyes right now would be a good idea.

Additionally, Matoba was lying just next to him. He could even feel a part of the latter's elbow slightly pressing against his hair, and Natsume felt his heart beating so quickly that there was no chance he would fall asleep anytime soon.

Madara left his seat, walking through the room to take a glimpse at Natsume. He had already decided that he would be keeping silent vigil the whole the night. He will talk with Natsume tomorrow.

In reality, Madara felt a kind of compassion, looking at his disciple now, as he looked over the boy from the table he had leapt onto. Natsume had a rather heart-melting expression, reflecting the mixture of the vague but half-formed emotions inside him with a shade of bliss woven in. He knew Natsume was always so worried and occupied with everything and had never stayed in a place where his abilities were something normal and understood by others. He himself had no doubts Natsume was currently feeling the connection formed through comprehension.

So, they will be sleeping together, in a sense of the word. Natsume did not know how he should feel about that, but at the very least, he needed sleep, and it really did feel good staying this close to Matoba. Well, maybe at this particular moment the exorcist's presence was keeping him awake at night, but he knew he would feel the waves of sleep flooding his mind and body sooner or later, so it was nothing to worry about. And, as far as he was able to reach his with memory, he had always been longing for what he was currently experiencing, this feeling. It was as if something inside him had snapped together.

Either his reality had turned into a dream, or his dream had become reality. The crashing waves of sleep soon faded into the chirping drones of the cicadas.


	17. Chapter 17

Natsume woke up late next morning. He pushed himself up from the bed and sat, the sun shining strongly despite it still rising, its burning rays falling into the room through the open terrace door.

He didn't see Matoba. Natsume didn't know when the other had left but he assumed it had to be a few hours rather than a moment ago.

Madara lifted his eyes and then his furry body, which he slowly heaved to the futon. He put his forepaws on the bedding as he looked at Natsume, who had looked at him at just that moment as well.

"Nyanko-sensei..." Natsume spoke, at once recalling that his sensei had been present and watching over him all the night long. His irises quickly moved to the corners of his eyes.

"Natsume," The cat felt the boy's hands slide under his porcelain front limbs. Natsume picked the cat up from the floor and placed him on the futon. "You fell for him too easily..."

Despite it being a very hot day Madara's message was explicit enough to freeze Natsume to the bones without too much, or rather any, effort from the cat's side. The boy even had the impression that the sun had disappeared for the time being or that it had suddenly hidden itself behind the obsidian cloud currently hanging a few inches above his head.

There was nothing to say. Natsume wasn't used to lie to his sensei (unless they weren't talking about alcohol) and he also could not say it was not as it looked like when it was exactly like that.

"Ah… well…" '_I- I don't know what to say...__' _Natsume really didn't know what to say. He could only try to remain somehow not-present. After a pause of silence he eventually cried, "Please, don't tell anybody!"

"Aho!" The idea alone made Madara feel sick, "Like I would!" His scream pierced the silence like a lightening. "But..." Madara sighed as he calmed down a little, "Quite honestly... I wouldn't never have suspected you about … _that_."

Natsume anchored his gaze somewhere in the empty space. It was clear as day there was a lecture requiring his participation and he knew he had no other choice than to cooperate with his spirit teacher and sit through it until the very distant end. He didn't feel himself ready to hear even the first sentence as the cat opened his mouth.

"Geez..." Madara face-pawed as he shook his head left and right a few times. "If you were that desperate you should have told me to help you," he started his admonishment. "I would have done what I could. I'm sure Natori would agree if I was persuasive enough! Maybe even somebody from your school… But after what I saw, …I guess it's too late now!"

Natsume did not know what Madara had seen, but he assumed the latter's knowledge were probably based on what he'd seen while he had been asleep last night. He did not remember a thing from the past few hours but once he had woken up his clothes were in disarray for some reason, so he guessed he might have cuddled up to Matoba while sleeping - in the best case scenario, that is. The maneki neko continued. "I don't know if I should make you beg for forgiveness or just hit you over your empty head."

Natsume didn't know the solution to Madara's problem either. Well, he usually didn't know the solutions to lectures he wasn't listening to and this was one such case. Actually, the reason was that a few seconds ago he had heard a loud crack, like a branch of wood, coming from behind the window, probably from the forest, which brought back to his mind the memory of the talking plank from yesterday. It made him look like if he was not listening to his sensei's words.

"Aho!" The cushion following the cat's next scream hit his sandy mop of hair, instantly waking Natsume from his reverie. "Are you even listening to what I'm saying to you?! I see we're even worse off than I'd thought..."

"Ough..." Natsume massaged his head, bracing it as though trying to protect himself against any mental harm the cushion had done now that it was already too late to guard himself from the non-existent physical damage. "Please, don't tell anybody..." From Madara's view, it looked like Natsume's mind had been paused and couldn't do more than replay his last words over and over.

"I told you I won't!" Madara barked, visibly annoyed, jolting Natsume's mind back into action, and thus letting him move on to the next topic.

"Wait... sensei, yesterday... when I was looking for a bathroom... I ran into a youkai on this floor, though I couldn't see it properly," Natsume said. "It was hiding in the wall in the nearby room." Madara rose his eyes to Natsume's whilst the boy continued, "It was talking something about the goddess... but I didn't have enough time to ask about anything. I didn't want Matoba-san to find out. The youkai... didn't look like it meant any harm but he would have exorcised it for sure, or even worse... It wanted me to take it with me somewhere. Maybe we should look for it?" In addition to asking for the cat's opinion, he also hoped that this topic would capture his sensei's attention. It could distract Madara's attention from the previous topic.

"Yes, I know." Madara sounded as if he knew everything and possibly even some things that Natsume didn't know. Perhaps he had noticed the youkai last night and that was the reason why he had left back then - to check it.

The cat eyed up and down Natsume's messy figure before he stated. "Go and do something about your... about yourself. We'll leave then," the cat commanded, but it hit him that Natsume wasn't even looking at him now, his sight directed somewhere to the view behind the window. "What are you waiting for?!" he screamed loud enough to wake his disciple from another vacant contemplation. He seriously considered the possibly that Natsume's head was completely empty now.

"Ah… I'm going already! I'm on my way..." Natsume replied as soon as his brain processed the message. He put one foot on the floor, pushing himself onto his two feet. "I'll be back soon," he said as he fixed his robe and grabbed the paper seal to cover his eyes.

Natsume left the room, temporarily freeing himself from his sensei judging glares.

It looked like there were no people on the floor, which made him sigh with relief.

He entered the bathroom and opened the tap to let the hot steaming water fill up the large square wooden bathtub. He took off his clothes and climbed into the water, happy to finally have an opportunity to relax even if for only ten minutes or so. The place was actually very calming and somewhat soothing. There were some large, rose-colored rocks scattered sparsely here and there, probably coming from the local resources. It looked like the people here had been using the tub frequently, probably for its healing properties. The steaming brine combined with his memories from the last day eventually eased much of the tension from him. He felt good enough to meet Madara now and even felt like spending some time with the cat. He used to enjoy spending time with him after all, and though he hoped to see Matoba soon, the other man was out for now anyway.

Natsume got out of the water and wiped his hair and body dry. He put on his clothes, though he made sure to take a look at the mirror to make sure he didn't look like a human before he left the place.

He returned to the room where Madara was already waiting, armed in his eye-seal protector and ready for any possible action that may happen with local spirits.

Natsume stepped to the shelf where his belongings were resting and excavated the bag with the Book of Friends from the pile. It wasn't too convenient to carry it with him in the Matoba clan's territory, but to leave it alone in the room for an undefined period of time would be even less wise.

They left the room, and headed to the adjoining one first. They opened the door and went to examine the plank. They hit it many times, though with no visible result. It looked like the youkai living inside had left the location or simply disappeared. Natsume hoped it had not been punished by Matoba for simply existing. Its absence depressed him a little, but he did not know how these youkai usually operated, so he refrained from making any assumptions.

"Let's go down! I want to eat something!" Madara eventually commanded and was visibly content when Natsume nodded in response and followed him without any words of objection.

They went down the stairs eventually finding a kind of storage, equipped mainly with the traditional dishes of onigiri, takoyaki or dango, and, to Madara's infinite joy many bottles and a few barrels of sake as well. The cat was truly overjoyed now and it was impossible for him to conceal his reaction in spite of his disciple's clear stare of condemnation. He wouldn't dare to reach for the liquor at this particular moment, but it was enough for him to remember the beautiful beverage's location so that he could and would certainly return, as soon as possible.

Despite Natsume's generally bad opinion about Madara's unseasonable love for drinking, the boy was quite happy to see so many bottles and barrels as well. It was very kind of his sensei to stay on guard all last night, but there was only one more night left before he would be returning home and he would be very happy to spend this night alone with Matoba. With the state the warehouse was in, he expected it to occupy Madara at least after dusk.

Once they'd eaten, they went to the pagoda's entrance. They tried not to draw the guards' attention, though the guards had apparently been informed that Matoba's shiki may wander the area since they did not stop either Madara or Natsume on their way to the forest.

It was another hot day, but in comparison to yesterday, the air seemed very dry, even inside the forest. Natsume mentally thanked the surrounding trees for their refreshing shade.

Madara was following him, sniffing here and there and checking everything nearby carefully, but there were so many paths in these bamboo thickets that Natsume felt himself quickly lose direction. He was not worried though. He knew he could find his way back somehow, so as long as he did not wander too far from the paths.

He stopped for a moment to take a look at his surroundings. He could not recall the last time he had been in this kind of woods and he was amazed by its multidimentional beauty. The gentle, almost imperceptible breeze threaded through the numerous leaves and paper streamers place here and there on the bamboo stems, waving them back and forth like kite tails. Nyanko-sensei had run off somewhere, so Natsume decided to wait until the cat reappeared.

He could not tell the moment when the spirit which was already standing just before him had appeared but he ensured if he still had the bag with the Book of Friends with him. The bag and the book were in their proper place, which made him feel relieved when the youkai's voice accosted him.

"I...I..." The youkai was constantly looking behind itself, as though ensuring that there were no exorcists anywhere nearby. "I beg of you," the spirit made a flying step in Natsume's direction as he lifted his hands to his chest, a bust of what appeared to be old stone in his arms. "This... my child… for a moment..." Natsume realized the youkai must have been the sculpture as a living being, and this in its arms, its child, though he as a human was seeing only stone. He did not know what he should think about the situation though.

Natsume had no idea why his hands had already extended themselves towards the youkai either, thus leaving him free to be entangled in their business.

But quickly he realized the ghost was no longer there, though its child was in his arms. Instead he saw Madara who was just loping in his direction like a galloping steed. The cat stopped just in front of the boy, heaving each breath from the run.

"Oi, Natsume!" Madara called out in hurry, "I found something interesting," he looked at his disciple with his eyes now widely opened. "Let's go," he jumped a few times as if in excitement. "But first... ugh… Let's look for the river! I need to drink something...!"

"Wait! Nyanko-sensei, I can't go anywhere!" Natsume said as he managed to direct Madara's sight to the object he had been keeping in his hands. _'__Damn... it has become really heavy all of a sudden...__' _He realized as he explained. "There was a youkai when you were gone. It told me to hold this statue, saying it was her child."

The cat narrowed his eyes as he mused. Eventually he decided to wait a few minutes. He played with a butterfly flying quite low over the ground as Natsume stood by awkwardly, but no youkai appeared during that time. Out of boredom, he made a proposition.

"Nothing will come from standing here like idiots," Madara sighed. "Honestly, you're too kind," he continued tired and resigned. "If it was Matoba the youkai would already be gone."

"Nyanko-sensei!" Natsume called with a shade of consternation, but he sighed as his eyebrows narrowed. "The problem is that this youkai is gone for real! And this stone seems to be getting heavier somehow. I hope I haven't been put under some kind of spell."

"Natsume," the cat said, having come upon the most obvious possible solution to Natsume's problem,,"Just put this thing on the ground and be done with it."

"I can't leave it like this!" he stated resolutely, but not before he added with some resignation, "but, oh well... Let's move from here and then we'll see. Maybe she's hiding somewhere in these bushes." He pressed the stone to his chest as he made a step to join the cat as they returned to the forest.

They crossed two or three small paths before stepping into a more open space. Even though it was still inside the bamboo woods, it was a strange clearing with a few huge, normal trees growing. The set of spirits resting on the stout branches calmly looked down at them.

_"Hi-Hinoe?"_ Natsume thought once he saw the youkai. From this angle, they looked almost exactly like a certain one he knew very well. _"No... she's not..."_

"Oh, so this is your friend, Madara-sama?" The youkai he'd been observing exhaled the smoke of a pipe she had been carrying as she jumped and floated down to the ground to make a few soft steps towards Natsume and Madara.

"Nyanko-sensei...?" Natsume instinctively took a step back as he looked at the cat standing nearby. He felt himself rather safe, though he had never seen these creatures before. It annoyed Natsume a bit that his sensei smiled instead of responding, so he directed his eyes to the visibly chilly spirits as he decided to ask them the question directly. "Who are you?"

"We're spirits of yamabushi." Another female youkai, but thinner and smaller than the other, answered calmly. The youkai was shining strongly with a soft blue glow. Natsume's eye caught some sort of fleshy thing behind it. He was not sure what it was exactly. A corpse? Or...

"Wah!" Natsume screamed once he looked closer at the blackened flesh and dangling eyeballs.

"We shouldn't judge by appearance," the shining youkai commented.

"S-sure..." Natsume answered blankly. The ayakashi lowered her empty eyes to her corpsy-friend floating somewhere above the trees' roots.

"He is Nuribotoke," the shining youkai explained as Natsume moved his eyes to the remaining ghosts. There were at least eight of them. The Hinoe-like youkai had put her hand on his shoulder and taken a look at the stone he had been carrying.

"Do you know what this might be?" Natsume asked, preoccupied with keeping his two feet on the ground. "I'd met the youkai who said it was a child, but then it disappeared." He took a deep breath, almost irritatedly. "And now I don't know what to do with this thing. Do you know that youkai?"

"It must have been Ubume..." A ghost with the appearance of an old monk stepped forward to examine the stony object.

"Ubume?" Natsume asked automatically.

"Poor thing, you don't know her?" the Hinoe-like youkai asked with pity, but she continued. "I see... You must have been truly naive to take something from those whom you don't know... Our Master has always warned us against doing so." She took a puff of smoke as she continued, "But it's good you have it. You just need to find the rest of the sculpture and combine it." She stared into Natsume's eyes, silent as though debating with herself "This stone will gradually become heavier and heavier until you do so, and eventually it will become too heavy to lift from the ground. By then, it'll be too late."

"What does the youkai want?" Natsume asked, feeling the burden of this new quest settle. "What do you mean, it'll be too late?"

"She sacrificed herself for her child somewhere in this area. She used to visit this place to find relief in the kami's presence, but the kami is currently asleep. I think she simply wanted to be rid of her current problems, so she placed all the negative energy into this half of the sculpture, which she then passed to you so you could heal the imbalance by joining the statue with its other half. This is her way of doing things."

"Hey, young monk." The monk youkai directed his sight to Natsume's.

"Is it a human?!" The corpse youkai asked likely astonished whilst Natsume saw another, a very bright lightening-like youkai which with no face and no particular shape was nearing to his face as well. The youkai flied just before his eyes, making the blow of wind to uncover the shiki seal, unrevealing Natsume's face to those youkai who supposedly had not been aware of him being a human.

"Ah..." The blue shinning woman with empty eyes admitted, "You can see us..." She mused with slightly wide eyes.

"Who are you?" Natsume asked now again, feeling as though the conversation had continued without him. He checked once again to see if the Book of Friends were still in his bag. It was.

"Hey, young monk," the old monk called in his strict tone.

"Hey! I'm not a monk!" Natsume snapped back, but he immediately regretted it. This attitude probably wasn't appropriate. He bowed to the youkai in a show of humility to try to repair the mistake. "Ah... I'm sorry... old monk."

"I'm Songebi," the old monk introduced himself as Natsume continued.

"I didn't mean any harm. I was only trying to explain the situation." Natsume said, but he realized his words were making even less sense than before.

"Are you the current Matoba clan leader's partner?" asked the white cat-like youkai with red eyes, who was sitting near the youkai corpses. "I'm Kasha," the cat introduced itself as well.

Natsume thought these spirits looked fairly friendly, possibly even more sophisticated than the current Matoba clan's leader himself; his blood pressure jumped at the memory of the person when the cat made a few jumps like a fox in Natsume's direction, stopping before standing straight and looking up with its somewhat evil-looking eyes. "I can't see you working for Matoba." The cat pierced Natsume's eyes with his, which felt strange. Perhaps this youkai had some strange abilities.

"I'm helping him today... actually." He replied, though hesitantly. He was not sure that he had responded correctly, but it was already too late to take back his words. He hoped the youkai would not eat him, though he was lucky he had Nyanko-sensei with him this time. Natsume realized he was becoming more honest lately, which struck him a little since he was not used to being so straight-forward. "What about it?" he asked despite his misgivings.

"We're the shiki of Yamabushi. Our Master was the exorcist from Matoba clan." The voice of another very tall, shining youkai lacking any eyes draw Natsume's attention. "That's why we are sometimes involved in the things connected to the clan, depending on our mood."

"Our Master has recently departed from this world," the monk youkai continued, "but we are always here, ready to take care of things he may care about if he were still alive."

"With nowhere to go, we used to spend our free time in this forest because the kami's presence makes us happy and calm, but ever since these sculptures," the Hinoe-youkai put her finger on the stone Natsume had been holding, "became missing, she has been asleep. There are many local beings who need her help, but we cannot pass the pagoda's barriers anymore, which makes the task beyond our reach." She sighed, exhaling a cloud of smoke into Natsume's face.

Natsume coughed, as he shook his head a few times to get rid of the smoke, though he couldn't help but inquire, "Did your master treat you well?"

"Hahahah..." the youkai chuckled amusedly. "One may call it what one wants, but to each their own."

"He, who commanded us," the cat-youkai picked up the topic, "used to call us 'aspects of his mind.'" The youkai raised one of his back legs to scratch its ear. "He always invented complicated theories like that."

"Eh?" Natsume wondered what the cat-ayakashi was talking about, but he squatted before it, quickly feeling the sculpture's weight bringing his body to the ground even stronger than before.

"Some of us believe a part of him still lives as a kami, the one currently sleeping." The cat raised its red eyes to Nasume's. "You see, our Lord was a great mystic."

"Young boy," the spirit looking like an old monk spoke up, catching Natsume's attention, "help us wake our kami. Once the Jizo are back in their places, she should wake up in a day or two." He moved his pointing finger up and down a few times as though he were lecturing the boy when the corpse-youkai interrupted his instructions.

"But it won't be easy, don't you think, Songebi?" The corpse-cloud changed into something more amorphic. In its new form, it turned one of its loose eyeballs to the monk spirit and the second one, currently laying on the ground, to Natsume. "He has but one part of one statute..."

"Oi! Nuribotoke!" the female blue-shinning youkai scolded the corpse with her temporary squeaky voice, "Don't discourage him! We don't have anyone to help us and he can actually see us! I'm sure... it's a good sign that there are young people with such strong spiritual power in the Matoba clan. I think we can trust him," she said exasperatedly.

"Yes, he looks reliable," the Hinoe picked up the discussion. Natsume was resigned, though he thought the word 'reliable' did not fit this situation at all. "Somehow he'll do." she said with hope in her voice, but she looked at Natsume in the same manner as before - beseechingly. "Right?" Actually, Natsume felt it was the same type of 'Right?' that Matoba always used.

Natsume realized this youkai was a little more balanced than Hinoe, which was convenient, but he still had to do something with this heavy stone that was steadily growing even heavier in weight. These new youkai have interested him, but he was not sure what he could do now.

"I'd like to help you," he admitted after a while, "but ... what should I do first?"

"Go to the pagoda, find some tsukumogami," the cat-youkai suggested.

"Tsukumogami?" Natsume asked with attention.

"They are old objects who have became alive and self-aware," the cat explained, "You'll find at least two of them in the pagoda." Natsume thought the cat-youkai looked completely different from Nyanko-sensei and a bit more malicious, too. On the other hand, it was a still mostly like a cat, so maybe it was only its appearance that was a bit scary? "I'm sure at least one is still there. Nobody would move it, I suppose..."

"That's true." The blue shining female youkai put her hand on her forehead. "It's probably been bored to death now that kami has been asleep for so long." She averted her eyes. "We can't visit the pagoda anymore, so all we can do for now is to entrust everything to you." She looked at Natsume. "What's your name, human child?"

Natsume did not want to lie, but he hoped the spirits have never heard about his grandmother. "It's Natsume," he stated eventually. "My name is Natsume Takashi. Nice to meet you." He smiled slightly at the gathered youkai. "I hope I'll be able to do help you."

"We're happy enough seeing the clan prosper like this," the youkai cat spoke as its eyes met Natsume's, "but we'd be grateful if-"

"If you help us to wake the kami as soon as possible."

Natsume even could not tell which youkai was talking now, with them interrupting each other, but for now, he decided to ask for more details.

"Are you always at this place?"

"We rarely leave this forest." The smoking Hinoe-like youkai smiled warmly, but she wasn't looking directly at him anymore.

"I'll try to do what I can, but could I leave this stone here for a while?" Natsume said with a shade of hope in his voice.

"Sure..." the eyeless shining youkai answered, "but it's becomes heavier every time it is put on the ground." Its voice was somewhat lilting. "When you know the location of the rest of its parts, pick it up from here, but it may be best if you don't put it down again..."

Natsume nodded as he took in the suggestions.

"The tsukumogami," the cat stepped up to Madara, who had been resting on the grass near Natsume's legs for the entire time, "will show you the location of the rest of the sculpture."

The cats exchanged glances. It was like they were communicating in a language unknown to him, but he wondered why the youkai cat spoke with his sensei now, when before he had been directing his words to Natsume. Maybe it was just his imagination? He shook his head. Perhaps that was just the way cats were.

Natsume left the group of spirits for now. He sighed, but once he was on the narrow forest path with his sensei, he inquired, "But really, Madara-sama," he looked at the cat suspiciously, "I wonder how you managed to befriend them all so quickly and effortlessly."

"Hm!" The cat toddled along, giving Natsume a full view of his fat behind as he walked a few steps ahead."I bribed them with two barrels of booze." Then he added, since he knew Natsume couldn't have known, "And you'll help me roll them here from the temple."

"W-what?" Natsume thought he had just befriended the local youkai, but it was all in a different light now. It felt like the rug had been pulled from under his feet, and he put his hand in his forehead.

"Natsume," the cat said once they have reached the crossing, "I'm going to get a drink. Go on ahead to the pagoda and try to hit the plank until it regains its voice."

"Nyanko-sensei," Natsume looked at the cat as it takes a few jumps away from him, "if you're thirsty, just come with me." His reasonable voice managed to stop the cat for a moment.

"Before you arrived, Songebi had told me to speak with a youkai living at the nearby stream. We'll meet at the temple later. For now, I'm on my way!" He called and disappeared into the green horizon.

Natume mentally sighed, exhausted from everything he had learned today. Nevertheless, he kept on walking. He came across a few forks, but he quickly lost his sense of direction, which was rather easy in this maze of bamboo stems. He had no idea how to return to the youkai's place from here. He tried to continue and find his way to the pagoda. However, he did not know that he was walking in the completely wrong direction.

That was when he came out into an unfamiliar open meadow.


	18. Chapter 18

Matoba stepped into the waves of grass, hesitant as Natsume too paused in his steps. He assumed the boy had probably gotten lost in the forest. So far, from Matoba's view Natsume was looking about like a blind person, his hands stretched unreasonably forward through the empty air in front of him, one higher and one lower, as if looking for something in the darkness despite it being the middle of a sunny day.

The exorcist strode further in Natsume's direction. He noticed the cicadas were crying extremely loudly now as if offering him their unneeded help. If he had wanted to hide his presence, he would not be have followed Natsume straight through the open grassland to begin with, but, after a second thought, he wouldn't have minded taking the other by surprise.

Either way, he was soon mere inches behind the boy and, looking at him now, Matoba was one hundred percent sure Natsume had noticed nothing. As unreal as it seemed, he seemed to be deeply absorbed in rummaging through air as the insects were completely deadening all possible sounds.

_"How convenient..."_ Matoba thought as he fluidly caught Natsume in a flash.

He was expecting to hear a loud scream as Natsume's first reaction and his estimations were instantly confirmed. Once the scream died away he adjusted his embrace, sliding his hands along the blond's waist and chest, feeling as the latter's body relaxed under the touch.

"Ah..." Natsume exhaled the crushed air in his lungs as his hand moved to rest on Matoba's. "Ah, you scared me…" he said as he closed his eyes in relief. _"I'm dreaming…"_

"Oh, I think I must apologize for that," the man replied with dubious empathy as he let his hand slip from Natsume's waist down to the hip, unintentionally nudging his semi-hardness up against him. "I honestly didn't meant to scare you." He was honest to some degree, though it was perhaps mostly just because scaring Natsume was not his first intention. Regardless, he reassured Natsume, "But… since we're here anyway… What were you doing here of all the possible places?"

Natsume's eyes squinted against both the physical touch and the growing tension but he quickly replied, "I was just trying to do something about these Jizos, so... ah..." He was trying to concentrate on the explanations, but Matoba's movements were making it hard for him to focus on anything, "so I thought I'll start with checking the area..."

"Hm..." Matoba said as he leaned even closer up against Natsume's back. He slid his hand resting on Natsume's chest over the fabric, letting his fingers brush through to the hardening nipple. His other hand moved to Natsume's thigh to cup his member through the cloth, and after a few strokes making it grown to its actual size.

Natsume's heart rate increased rapidly as his head fell back against Matoba's shoulder with a soundless thump. Matoba was very welcome in his personal space now, and Natsume more than enjoyed feeling the latter's tongue effortlessly enter his mouth. He anchored his hand in the older man's dark hair, warm from the sun, clinging tight without thought to Matoba's possible discomfort.

Matoba wasn't used to someone pulling so carelessly on his hair, and with such strength to boot, but he couldn't bring himself to care too much about such insignificant details. In fact, he found himself growing hotter and hotter. Natsume probably lacked proper control of his body now.

Matoba's calculations were usually accurate, and it was not off this time either. Despite having his body propped against the exorcist's, Natsume was so deeply drawn into the situation that after few minutes he wasn't capable of standing firmly any longer and would have certainly fallen into the grass if Matoba's hands hadn't stopped their work on him to keep him from falling down.

"Natsume…" Matoba held Natsume up, but it'd be better if Natsume could try to keep his own balance at least somewhat. There was nothing stopping him from saying that straight forwardly. "Ah, you see… I'm very excited now..." It almost sounded as though he were talking about something else, but in Matoba's opinion it was fair explanation.

Natsume turned so he could face Matoba more directly.

"I see…" Natsume replied with a vacant look in his eyes as he took a deep breath before joining their lips for another kiss. Bizarre as it was for Natsume, he thought he could understand Matoba very well at the moment.

Matoba was glad Natsume at least seemed to be willing to cooperate, and it was nice for him to feel what was unquestionably Natsume's cock pressed through the fabric and rubbing against him.

Lost in a soaring kiss, Natsume hung his hand on Matoba's shoulder. His other rested on the kimono over the exorcist's chest. The kiss broke without Natsume even noticing it had happened, but he sure noticed the warm tongue moving across his chin and collarbone.

All too soon, Matoba let them both to fall to their knees, arms around him all the while. He had most definitely grown bored of Natsume using his body for support for so long.

With his knees now firmly resting on the leafy ground Natsume whined loudly under the sensation of Matoba's hands sliding under his being disheveled clothes. He peeked past one of this clenched eyelids for a short second. He hadn't even known he'd closed them. Had they moved from the meadow? If that was the case, he couldn't recall it happening, but then he realized there were bamboo stems just by his side and the answer came through his mind, solid as the shadows of leaves waving over their bodies, _"Ahh... wait... we're in the forest..."_

Perhaps he shouldn't be so surprised by the turn of events, but he was.

He really didn't want to stop Matoba now that the latter's hand had already sunk beneath his boxers' waistband, but despite this, his hand unconsciously pulled on Matoba's kimono as his voice spoke in his place. "Wait..." Natsume stuttered before he took a deep breath of air he was lacking. "Please, let's go to the room... I don't want anybody to see us..." he said, quickly averting his eyes somewhere to the side. The gust of wind blew the shiki seal upwards for seconds, letting Matoba catch a glimpse of both Natsume's grimace and his widened pupils.

"There's a place nearby. Nobody will see us." He said as he clung to Natsume's body to feel it as much as it would ever be possible. He did not want to stop the action for even a moment if the slightest bit unnecessary. When they have to leave, then they'll go, but every second until then was a second to their advantage.

"Ah, let's go then..." Natsume pressed his hands against Matoba's chest in an attempt to mobilize him, his voice almost sounding demanding.

Matoba seemed to be listening to Natsume's words, though he wasn't too interested in continuing the discussion. He got up and pulled on Natsume's forearm, bringing the boy to the feet as well.

After a short walk through the forest, they stood at the threshold of a spacious teahouse.

Some of the bamboo thickets grew near enough to spread their leafy branches though the round, traditional doorway as a second ceiling. There was a floor covered with tatami mats and a low table with a few pillows scattered here and there.

"This is the place?" Natsume asked, intrigued once he put his hand on the arched doorframe.

"It's a room for tea ceremonies," Matoba replied as he stepped forward with his hand tight around Natsume's wrist as he hastened to pull the boy inside sooner rather than later.

"Ah...! But there's no door..." Natsume hesitated, his tone more a question than a statement.

"Oh, don't worry yourself too much," Matoba smiled enchantingly as he added, just in case, "It's only rarely used and it's also quite far away from pagoda..."

Natsume felt himself almost convinced. Or, rather, he simply accepted that they would not be going anywhere else. If he wanted to be alone with Matoba now, it was here or nowhere.

Either way, the fact that he was so close with this man had still only barely registered in his mind. He saw the situation as an unreal dream that seemed to be strangely real. Or, if it was a dream, he would have no regrets. He only hoped he was not going to wake up too soon (especially if he were to do so with the help of his sensei).

Matoba pulled on Natsume's cloths, bringing them both back again to the same kneeling position they had been in in the forest. Natsume had been lost in thoughts. With his eyes focused somewhere on the ceiling, he wasn't prepared for such a sudden move. In almost an instant, he found himself in an extraordinary instant in an alternate dimension wherein his former enemy was the most precious part of the whole universe. "Ah…" Natsume whined the moment Matoba sealed his lips with his and he started to stroke the exorcist's hair.

_"__As though __he were stroking that cat..."_ A thought passed Matoba's mind, but he sent it away like an uninvited visitor. There was no meaning to any of the opinions or reflections his mind was currently sending to his consciousness; the mind and its messages had no power over him.

Natsume perceived that Matoba was rather tense, and he couldn't wait to help him release this tension.

Matoba did not catch wind of what Natsume had in mind, but he could see what the latter's body longed for, enough to push forward.

Natsume felt his back squeezed up against to the floor by the other's chest. The exorcist leaned between Natsume's legs which the latter had willingly opened. Matoba did not plan to lay with Natsume now, but it was nice to see such a clear invitation.

"Hhhn... hah... ahh..." Natsume writhed as Matoba's palms started examining his body. He wondered how far the other person's knowledge about his anatomy reached. Although Matoba was not touching him in any particular spot, it was hard for him to endure the general tickling sensation.

"_Ahh…ha.. aah… it's too much…"_ Natsume thought as he said out loud, "Ah… Strange you haven't forced me to do it until now..." He tried to force criticism into his voice, but it was more than futile now when he felt his neck being licked and bitten, "Ahhh... ahh..." _"It's strange __this is __real…"_

Matoba temporarily lifted himself as he firmly pressed his knee between Natsume's legs, finding the compressed muscle hidden somewhere there. He took a deep breath which he exhaled with an ostentatious sigh as he slid his hand inside the blond's underwear.

"Natsume-kun." It was that cynical smile visibly covering his features. "Despite your opinion about all my possible right and wrongdoings…" He let his fingers entwine around Natsume's member and started moving over it. "Yes, just abandon your opinions…" Each word was accented by a sluggish stroke. After due consideration he added in an unconcerned tone. "Don't worry. I'm not going to make you join me by these means…" Actually, this kind of idea had come to Matoba's mind once, but many days have passed since he'd ultimately given up on that plan of action.

"Nnn… haa… ha… I… nhaah… I haven't said that… nhh…"

"Oh, that is true," the exorcist quickly admitted, closing his eyes as he adjusted his hand so he could move it more effectively.

_"Ann… haa… ahh… it feels… too nice__,__"_ Natsume thought and he also shut his eyes, temporarily losing himself to the sensation. It felt nice indeed, and Matoba's reassurance that he seemed to actually possess some good qualities made him feel even better. Even if they were as scarce and well-hidden as finding butter in milk.

"Ngh…" Natsume groaned when the movements against him changed again. It passed his mind that if Matoba tried to enter him now, he would not protest. Still, if he were given a choice, he would rather wait at least until the evening. True, this place may be safe, but it lacked the door.

"Put yourself on the cushion," the exorcist suggested as he grabbed the robe covering Natsume's chest and pulled the latter's body across the floor until Natsume's head was placed quite firmly onto the nearest item of this kind.

Natsume winced under that rough move but at least there were some benefits from it. It was a bit more comfortable.

Matoba lowered himself so he could kiss Natsume thoroughly, the boy's eagerness plain to sight as he hugged him tightly. This made it a little harder for Matoba to unfasten Natsume's robe and take off the latter's pants, but not by much. As soon as the task was complete, Matoba broke the kiss as he bent himself towards Natsume's hips. The fact he was sitting in seiza only seemed more appropriate in the tearoom.

Natsume panted, loud enough to incite the wave of embarrassment that shuddered through his mind and body like an illusory tsunami. He inwardly thanked Matoba for the shiki seal which was at the moment comfortably covering his eyes. His embarrassment regressed the moment Matoba's hands covered all his shaft almost hermetically, once again starting their massaging motion. He felt the wet tongue gently lash the head's edges and surface, causing him to squint tight as the other man took him to his mouth for a suck.

_"Ahh... I'll finish__ like this__…"_ That was inevitable anyway and it wasn't like Natsume didn't want to, but he'd hoped that it could be delayed for a few minutes at least instead of happening almost immediately. However, it was all far too overwhelming for him to even try uttering a single word of objection.

Natsume bit his lip to stifle his moans though with no audible success. He seriously wanted to last longer but the other man's hands were petting his staff so competently and his mouth was sucking him so unrelentingly that he had no choice but to surrender. It was already too late to stop or prolong the action anyhow, now that he could clearly feel himself passing the threshold of ascent, climbing up the summit despite just having one foot past the line. All that was left was to let his head rest numbly on the cushion and let any unneeded thoughts dissolve into emptiness.

"Nnnnn... nnnnnn... aaah… ahhh… ah… haah…" Natsume's spirit may have left his body, but his voice continued on moaning as he felt himself literally melt into Matoba's mouth and hands.

"Aahh... nhha... ah…" Natsume panted, overwhelmed with everything that was happening to him.

Matoba also took a few deep breaths after this pleasant session. He had been taking care of Natsume for perhaps two minutes, and it wasn't like he had to put much effort on his part, but regardless Natsume's cries aroused him to the point that he was no longer sure if he hadn't cum sooner than Natsume had.

Natsume's re-opening eyes rested on the floor that was now bathed in the vivid sunlight. He had been laying in the shade when this had started. It struck him that it was good it was still the morning, since he would need some time to recuperate after something like that.

Despite all this, he still felt as though he had been put into some kind of trance. There were thoughts or even memories of Nyanko-sensei or anything other than the current situation at hand. He was, however, fully aware that he was here with Matoba.

Time passed.

Natsume picked himself up to perch before the exorcist, who was still sitting right in front of him in a perfect seiza. Matoba's lone visible eye was now closed, and his fists rested on his knees as his features reflected an almost nonexistent smile, as though in some kind of unidentifiable transcendence. Was he meditating? It occurred to Natsume that perhaps he shouldn't disturb him… Especially since it was nice to finally see Matoba so devoid of his usual mask.

"Ah... do you want me to do something… Special for you?" he eventually asked in a quiet, shy voice as lightly he pulled on Matoba's sleeve.

Matoba's visible eye half-opened in response as his pensive gaze rested on Natsume.

It was a good question, Matoba thought, though also a loaded one. He had numerous visions of what could define "special" floating inside his mind, countless as the many life forms in the tropical sea. Although he liked Natsume's open self, he knew the boy would be too appalled with most of them to agree to any.

Natsume wasn't too good at guessing Matoba's thoughts (not that he ever claimed himself to be an expert), but it wasn't like he was always wholly wrong. Either way, in his reality, Matoba's gaze was now a mixture of forbearance and tranquility.

Matoba exhaled a deep breath, closing his eye before eventually he uttered, "Natsume-kun…" Natsume could have worried himself into eternity trying to learn to read Matoba from his mannerisms and tone. He could clearly hear the emotion in his voice, but of what he could not tell at all. "Do whatever you please."

Oh well. Matoba desired Natsume enough to settle back and wait. He was already satisfied doing Natsume few minutes ago, and he valued the inner satisfaction above that of the physical level. It didn't matter that his blood pressure quickened enough to make his body shiver or that his mind felt dizzy when Natsume's face was an inch from him and his hands were touching his legs and crumpling up his clothes.

Natsume embraced Matoba clumsily, but well enough to earn him a quiet gasp once he started kissing the other's neck. Natsume was fully aware that he lacked skills as a lover but he had already accepted that undisputable fact and decided Matoba would have to accept it as well. In any case, he tried his best. With his teeth scrabbling over rather than biting the other's skin and with his hand stroking Matoba's hair the only way he knew how – as one would do to a cat – he let his other hand rest inanimately on Matoba's upper thigh.

Matoba's breath heaved internally, but externally, at least for the time being, he remained motionless. It was no easy feat in this situation, but still it was highly fascinating to experience Natsume's inexperienced actions.

Natsume seized one of Matoba's wrists, causing the latter to remove it from his lap and shift his position. He was happy that Matoba seemed to cooperate with him, and likewise he was happy to feel the hand move to press tight against his back. Now it was also a little bit easier for him to do move. He brushed his cheek against the exorcist's before bringing his lips to the other's. Matoba's body twitched as his hand situated on Natsume's back moved to tousle his hair roughly, so Natsume wasn't too afraid to start gently licking Matoba's lips, which resulted in an open, mellow kiss.

"Hah," Matoba panted through the kiss as he has felt his patience abruptly break, but he wouldn't let it dominate him yet. Natsume could feel the malicious energy flowing through Matoba's mind and spirit, and he guessed probably also through his body despite the latter's lazy actions. He was actually amazed how far the other's self-control stretched, though he hoped it lasted longer. Nevertheless, he continued with his current ministrations. He moved the hand resting on Matoba's thigh to his groin and let his fingers caress the exorcist's erection through the dank cloth.

"Do it more directly..." Matoba instructed in a short break from kissing. It sounded more like an order than a request but Natsume followed the command without pondering over it.

The boy moved his fingers, letting them brush through the fabric against the swollen hardness. Matoba felt the blond's hand unfasten his kimono and reach through, into his underwear, and start touching him more directly. Natsume moved his hand up the length, moistening his fingers on the damp tip. He let himself play with it. He couldn't help himself; it was too exciting feeling his palm be so refreshingly moistened.

Matoba did not mind. For him it was exciting enough to see Natsume fetishizing himself with his pre-cum. He had always thought Natsume was fascinating but now he found him so fascinating, his eyes were shutting themselves against his will. He thought the askew image of the teahouse wall would probably be the last thing he sees before he wakes up.

"Ah, ah…" Matoba broke the kiss as he leaned against the boy's bright mop of hair. His legs resting on the tatami mats felt heavy enough to drag him through the very floor as his support disappeared. He half-opened his eyes, glimpsing at the sun's rays beaming through the thickets and into the empty door; its play of shadows shook, waving quicker and quicker with every second, almost shimmering as though through a cracked mirror. His senses almost dissolved in all these phenomena, but the sensation of Natsume's hand cut sharply through all of it. He never expected Natsume to pull at his ponytail and ground him back to Earth again. _"Aaah…"_

It was a rather rude awakening, and the moment in suspension had lasted shorter than he'd have liked, even if it was for what would ultimately be an improvement. Still, he was not too disappointed. He could very easily enjoy Natsume removing his shorts and taking him to his mouth.

Natsume was indeed planning on doing so, but first he wanted to have Matoba's head on the cushion. Matoba couldn't care less about the additional comfort when he had been so thoroughly denied at the crucial moment, but he didn't say a word. If he did, it would probably just drag the moment out and he'd have to wait longer.

Natsume did as he planned, carefully putting Matoba's head onto the cotton seat and letting the exorcist to draw him in an ardent kiss. He took the opportunity during the kiss to also remove the older man's underwear. With all this done, he lowered himself and took him into his hand and mouth. His other hand touched Matoba's hand before grasping the latter's forearm.

"Ah, ah..." Matoba panted under the sensation, and well, he'd never imagined Natsume doing something like that with his hand, whatever he was doing; it felt quite intimate and almost affectionate. Still he'd be happier if the boy were putting much more strength into it.

"Natsume-kun… If I urge you … can you suck it harder?"

Natsume had been sucking quite delicately, but he did not mind squeezing the shaft within his mouth as he opened even wider to take more in.

Matoba felt his eyelids reuniting for what felt like the first time in eons, like long lost separated companions.

"Ahh... mnn… ah... hah... yes… continue like that…" He had no idea how Natsume's mouth could fit his member so perfectly even as the pace of the hand stroking him grew more erratic. The rushing crescendo of the monotonous motion kept being disturbed by a rough tug now and then. "Ah... ah..." Matoba's eyes clenched themselves even tighter as he felt the stream of heat crawling up his spine. It was either Natsume's hand immobilizing his own or the tip of Natsume's tongue which accidentally sliding past and then up against the line of sensitive spots over the head and on the underside of his cock that ultimately turned up the scales.

"Nnn... aah... ahhh… ha… ah…" Matoba's wish was being fulfilled and it was just as good as he'd thought it'd be, which meant that it was absolutely beyond imagination. Natsume was doing his best to milk him off thoroughly, and he wasn't planning on stopping, at least not until the exorcist ended things, which happened all too soon.

Matoba pulled on Natsume's hair, accidentally knocking aside the shiki seal as he brought Natsume's face to his lips. "Ahh... hah... aah… that's enough_…" " I feel like I've ceased to exist..."_

Natsume wouldn't mind continuing, especially now that he's already recovered, but Matoba had sounded clear enough in his latest statement. The blond shared with him the last drops of his iridescent liquid, content he had somehow managed to do his job with seemingly satisfactory result.

Indeed Matoba more than enjoyed this unplanned rendezvous. Still, though the most important things were already done, there were still dozens of other tasks which needed to be done during their visit at the place.

He put his hands on Natsume's shoulders, using them as support to stand. He adjusted his clothes, ensuring they were still fairly clean before bidding Natsume farewell.

"See you in the evening." It was not exactly like he wanted to leave the disarrayed Natsume on the floor, but nothing good would come from staying here with him any longer. Before leaving he added, "Natsume-kun… take care of yourself."

Natsume wondered if anything else had happened before he saw the edges of Matoba's robe disappearing behind this round empty door. He wondered what exactly had just transcribed before he eventually realized.

For all the gods' sake at least he still had the bag with the Book of Friends hung across his shoulder and he had managed to get together with Matoba beyond the reach of his sensei.

He had no idea how much time passed since he'd gotten lost in the forest but he was sure it was long enough to follow Matoba's example. It really was no way for someone to act, especially in his book, but in this case, he'd chalk this up to "an exception to the rule" and leave as soon as possible.

At least now, he was in a place sometimes used by humans so it should be easier to find the temple from here rather than from that deceptive meadow.


End file.
